NEW DELHI: Sharp differences have cropped up within the Bharatiya Janata Party over alleged "connivance'' of certain party leaders with the Congress during the recent monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly and the matter is likely to be taken up with the party high command as many feel that such actions are only bound to weaken the BJP and benefit the ruling Congress.

According to sources in the party, the Leader of the Opposition, Jagdish Mukhi, has come under fire for having bailed out the Sheila Dikshit Government during the session by coming up with a no-confidence motion against the wishes of the a large number of party MLAs.

Interestingly, even the Congress MLAs including the Mandawali legislator, Meera Bhardwaj, openly charged Mr. Mukhi with working hand in glove with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to save her from any embarrassment over the issue of damaging contests of the leaked Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report.

A number of MLAs are understood to have taken up the matter with senior party leaders pointing an accusing finger at Mr. Mukhi and the Chief Whip, Sahib Singh Verma.

Interestingly, the differences within the BJP Legislature Party were reflected openly during the session when the former Minister, Harsharan Singh Balli, stayed away from the House and made an appearance only on the first day. It is learnt that Mr. Balli was strongly against Mr. Mukhi bringing forward the no-confidence motion and wanted the BJP to corner the Government on the issue of power, water and PAC report. A close aide of former Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana, the Sikh leader was annoyed with the manner in which Mr. Mukhi was running the show within the legislature group and decided not be part of such a bail out package. Not only Mr. Balli but even the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, S.P. Ratawal, was not told about the no-confidence motion and he got the information only around 12-30 p.m. hours before the session was to begin.

Apart from these two leaders, even the younger lot comprising Vijay Jolly, Ramesh Bidhuri, Kulwant Rana and the former BJP president, Mange Ram Garg, were not taken into confidence on the issue.

"We are not going to let the matter rest here. It is going to be raised with the party leadership so that a solution is found to this continued support to the ruling party. We cannot be seen serving as an extended branch of the Congress party or government and this impression needs to be erased at the earliest. There is no doubt that some senior leaders in the highcommand have given their blessings to Mr. Mukhi but this will only damage the party,'' a senior MLA remarked.

Another BJP leader said they had realised the fact that the no-confidence motion as well as the adjournment motions were nothing but a tool used by certain BJP leaders to help the ruling party wriggle out of a tricky situation.

"Such things would not be allowed in future and we will put our foot down on any such proposal. We will also ensure that in future everything is discussed within the party before any notice is given to the Vidhan Sabha,'' another leader stated.

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