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Uma Bharti yields to pressure from her candidates

AHMEDABAD: The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Uma Bharti, was on Sunday forced by the candidates of her Bharatiya Janshakti Party (BJSP) in the Gujarat pollselections to change her mind and to continue to remain against the BJP.

Her efforts to withdraw her party from the elections to pave way for her return to the BJP proved futile. Her candidates prevailed upon her to ignore all gestures of “re-union” with her parent organisation causing a major setback to the BJP and the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

Her advice to the candidates to contest as “independents” with her party’s “support,” was shouted down by the agitated candidates.

Some leaders of the dissident BJP members, who had joined the Congress and sought ticket to contest, also met Ms. Bharti and prevailed upon her to change her stand. The leaders reportedly told her to ensure BJP tickets to all the dissidents as well as those who were denied ticket this time if she was keen to present a “united Hindutva front” against the Congress.

Ms. Bharti, who was in Vadodara to meet some religious leaders and discuss with the candidates about her impending move to merge her party with the BJP, announced in a media conference that her party would fight the elections and the candidates would be given the party platform.

Party’s State unit president Chaitanya Shambhu Maharaj questioned the BJP’s credibility in the re-union move. He told mediapersons that during the Uttar Pradesh polls also, the BJP leadership had spread similar messages to contain rebellion with the party but turned back later.

Some BJSP candidates, including Sunil Oza and Ramesh Mistry, who were among those dropped by the BJP, described Mr. Modi as a “liar” and said they would not withdraw in favour of a Chief Minister who was causing immense damage to the State. “Even if the BJSP withdraws, I will continue to fight against the BJP,” Mr. Oza said.

The state party president said the BJSP had set up 26 candidates out of the 87 constituencies in the first phase of polling, but for the second phase of 95 constituencies, the party would field about 70 candidates.

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