BJP alleges Congress poaching

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 2. The Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthi, today alleged that the Congress was trying to poach on its MLAs in Chattisgarh, and that Mr. Ajit Jogi, the Chief Minister of the State, had made overtures to Mr. Ram Dayal Ulke, an MLA from the Bilaspur district.

However, there are reports that suggest that not all is well with the BJP's Chattisgarh unit - recently one MLA and seven other workers were suspended and show-cause notices issued to them as to why they should not be expelled. The matter is pending before the party disciplinary committee.

Matters came to a head when about a fortnight ago the BJP elected its Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Nand Kumar Sahay. Apparently, while that election took place smoothly and unanimously, those who felt that the person had been foisted on the unit by the party high command rebelled.

Later at the party headquarters there was hooliganism and attempts to set on fire the car used by party general secretary, Mr. Narendra Modi. It was Mr. Modi and Mr. Lakhi Ram Aggarwal, former state president of Madhya Pradesh, who were targeted by party workers. That led to the suspensions.

It seems that far from being in a position to break the Congress in Chattisgarh, as BJP leaders had indirectly threatened to do, the BJP itself seems to be divided; a split is not being ruled out. That is seen to be the reason for the party complaining of poaching by the Congress.

Mr. Jana Krishnamurthi, party vice-president and spokesperson, who made the charge against the Congress, also rejected the allegation by the Chhatisgarh Chief Minister that the Centre was not providing the State the drought relief it was entitled. Mr. Krishnamurthi said that statements and demonstrations cannot give it the relief it was seeking; instead the State would have to do some homework and prepare schemes on how it proposed to use foodgrain being offered by the Centre.

Mr. Krishnamurthi also said that the first instalment of relief funds had been sent by the Centre to undivided Madhya Pradesh and it was for Chattisgarh to get its share from Madhya Pradesh.

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