The Hindu : Senior U.P. BJP leaders resent exclusion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 06, 2002

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Senior U.P. BJP leaders resent exclusion

By J.P. Shukla

LUCKNOW May 5. Resentment is brewing in the Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party over distribution of ministerial posts in the new ruling coalition with atleast two senior leaders protesting their exclusion from the Ministry.

The two former ministers, Harishchandra Srivastava and Ganga Bhakt Singh are stated to have taken up the matter with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, complaining that they had felt humiliated at being left out. Ignoring leaders of their stature was not in the interest of the party, they are stated to have told Mr. Vajpayee.

The BJP MLA from Bhinga constituency in Bahraich district, Chandramani Kant Singh, has announced that he would vote against the motion of confidence in the Mayawati Government to mark his protest. Mr. Singh felt offended at the inclusion of Akshaibar Lal Gaur, another BJP MLA from Bahraich district as a Minister of State, as he felt that as a party worker Mr. Gaur was junior to him. Mr. Singh has been a six-time MLA from his constituency.

At a meeting held at Bhinga yesterday the supporters of Mr. Singh announced that they would resign en masse from the party on May 7. To register their protest against the `insult' to their leader, the workers would go to the party headquarters here and hand over their resignations.

Mr Singh, who is considered to be close to the former Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh, announced after the meeting that he would oppose the motion of confidence but had still not decided if he would resign.

Two other Ministers of the Rajnath Singh Government, Narendra Singh Gaur and Nepal Singh, are also reported to have resented their exclusion from the Ministry. First reports had indicated that both would be sworn in as Ministers but subsequently they failed to get a berth.

Senior BJP Minister, Lalji Tandon, who occupies the number two position in the Mayawati Cabinet has since discussed the issue with the disgruntled leaders.

He feels that the issue would be amicably sorted out.

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Senior U.P. BJP leaders resent exclusion