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Uma's party to contest polls in U.P., Punjab

`Decision on poll alliance would be taken in next couple of months' ``U.P. is my `karambhoomi' and the party has a strong mass base in the State,'' she said.

JALANDHAR: The Bhartiya Janshakti Party would contest the coming Assembly elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, its president Uma Bharti said here on Tuesday.

The decision on a poll alliance would be taken in the next couple of months, she told a party rally.

``We have decided to contest Assembly elections in both Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The number of seats to be contested and with which parties poll alliance will be forged will be made public only in October,'' Ms. Bharti said, adding that talks were on with Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab.

Mass base

She said in Uttar Pradesh, the party would contest on a majority of the seats.

``U.P. is my `karambhoomi' and the party has a strong mass base in the State,'' she said.

Ms. Bharti said her party would not indulge in any ``appeasement policy towards Muslim'' but would ``invite any Muslim impressed with the party's ideology within its fold.''

Attacking the BJP, from which she had been expelled recently, Ms. Bharti alleged that the party had lost its ``ideological clarity''.

``They are unsure if they want to continue on the path of Lord Rama or follow (Mohammed Ali) Jinnah.''

She also said several BJP leaders got ``frustrated'' with the party and wanted to join her.

``Within one and a half year, BJP will be finished, as most of its leaders will join my party,'' Ms. Bharti claimed.- PTI

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