The Hindu : National : BJP defers decision on Madhya Pradesh

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Friday, Nov 25, 2005

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National

BJP defers decision on Madhya Pradesh

Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI : The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday night deferred taking a decision on replacing the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babulal Gaur, butindicated that the matter was very much on its agenda.

Party general secretary Pramod Mahajan told reporters that the issue would be discussed later — it could be in a few days or some weeks — at the "appropriate party forum" that was the BJP Parliamentary Board. He was briefing correspondents after a two-and-a-half hour meeting of party general secretaries and some other senior leaders chaired by BJP president L.K. Advani.

It was learnt that the issue came up at the start of the meeting, but Mr. Advani indicated that

this meeting was not the right place to discuss change of leadership in Madhya Pradesh. He apparently said that the issue would be taken up later at a meeting of the Parliamentary Board, which was the appropriate party forum for such matters.

In the run-up to the election campaign for the Bihar Assembly elections, the BJP's central leadership had conveyed to Madhya Pradesh legislators camping here that the issue of change of leadership in the State would be taken up immediately after the polls.

And it is no secret that supporters of the former Chief Minister, Uma Bharati, were getting restive even as those favouring "takeover" of the top political job in the State by BJP State unit president Shivraj Singh Chauhan are equally vocal.

Senior party leaders have indicated that change in the Madhya Pradesh leadership cannot be put off indefinitely. One reason for deferring a decision was also lack of consensus.

There are some in the party who are of the firm view that the central party leadership should not impose a new chief minister on the State but ascertain and then implement the views of party MLAs.

Thursday's meeting of general secretaries discussed developments in Parliament, ministry making in Bihar and preparations for the party's national council session proposed to be held in Mumbai next month, Mr. Mahajan said.

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