The Hindu : Disgusted over infighting: Kalraj Mishra

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 02, 2002

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Disgusted over infighting: Kalraj Mishra

By J. P. Shukla

LUCKNOW JUNE 1. The Uttar Pradesh State unit president of Bhartiya Janata Party, Kalraj Mishra, today resigned to express his "disgust" over the continuing infighting among the top leaders of the BJP unit and the prevailing "indiscipline" in the organisation.

Mr. Mishra gave a dramatic turn to the goings-on in the organisation by making the announcement at the conclusion of his presidential address during the inauguration of a two-day State executive meeting in the presence of presspersons. He said he had chosen to do so deliberately as the proceedings of even closed-door meetings of the party were sure to be leaked. If he had sent in his resignation to the BJP president directly, it would not have been accepted.

While his detractors appeared to have been stunned, many present on the occasion pleaded with him not to press his resignation. The leader of the State BJP Legislature Party, Rajnath Singh, said it was his decision as the man in charge of BJP affairs in Uttar Pradesh that the resignation would not be accepted. Mr Singh urged Mr. Mishra to conduct the proceedings of the executive in his capacity as the State BJP chief. Mr. Mishra conceded the request but reiterated that he would stick to his decision.

In his hour-long speech earlier, Mr. Mishra said he had foreseen a humiliating defeat for the BJP in the last Assembly elections and had duly apprised the Prime Minister of his assessment. In his own view, the functioning of the organisation itself was responsible for the humiliation. It was the infighting among the four top leaders of the party, which had sent wrong signals to the BJP workers.

Every happening in Lucknow was being conveyed to leaders in Delhi. Top leaders of the State party were extremely high-handed.

Mr. Mishra's comments seemed far from being general. Though he did not name any of the leaders, his reference evidently was to Lalji Tandon and Om Prakash Singh, the two Ministers in the Mayawati Government who had criticised him for his opposition to the BJP move to form a coalition government with the BSP.

For these leaders their ego was more important that the BJP ideology and their personal ambitions were ever taking a bigger size. The party's interests could be easily sacrificed at the altar of self-interest, he charged.

In an apparent reference to Mr. Tandon, Mr. Mishra said that efforts were made to mislead the Prime Minister on the affairs of the State party unit. He made all efforts to keep the party united but had to face unbearable humiliations, he said in a choked voice.'' The party affairs had come to such a pass that top leaders had forgotten even such BJP ideologues as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.They were, instead, showering all kinds of praises on leaders of other denominations.''

There were leaders who had tried to create a caste divide in the party in the name of social engineering, Mr. Mishra said in an obvious reference to Om Prakash Singh.

Now that a coalition government had been formed, the question was whether it would be allowed to be run smoothly, he added.

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Disgusted over infighting: Kalraj Mishra