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BJP warns dissidents in U.P.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI OCT. 22. The Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership today sent out a stern warning to dissidents in its Uttar Pradesh unit that strong disciplinary action would be taken against them, latest by tomorrow, if they fail to fall in line.

Indications point to exemplary action against a couple of MLCs, for they are considered politically soft targets. Given the arithmetic in the Assembly, action such as expulsion of MLAs will not serve the party's purpose at a time when its major political rival, the Samajwadi Party, has openly talked of bringing down the BSP-BJP coalition in the State.

The BJP general secretary and spokesperson, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said that the State party president, Vinay Katiyar, and the `prabhari', Kalraj Mishra, had already talked to a number of dissidents and that "most of them have given statements in writing that they were not participants in any dissident or anti-party activity.'' However, Mr. Naqvi was unwilling to say how many MLAs or MLCs might still be defiant.

"We have not yet been able to establish contact with all, and at this stage I cannot give you names.''

The party leadership had asked Mr. Katiyar and Mr. Mishra to send a report to the headquarters by tomorrow, and after this "strong disciplinary action'' would be taken if there was "substantial proof'' of anti-party activity against any person. The party had taken the U.P. affair "very seriously,'' Mr. Naqvi said.

Party insiders here say that the MLAs are angry with the senior leader and Minister, Lalji Tandon, considered the closest to the Prime Minister of all the U.P. leaders.

There is just a hint, nothing more, that the U.P. revolt may be the symptom of the larger game being played out between the "big two'' of the party in New Delhi, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.

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