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BJP rebels defer plan to form separate group?

Lucknow Nov. 6. The BJP dissidents in Uttar Pradesh today appeared to have shelved their plans for forming a separate outfit following a meeting between the rebel leader, Ramasish Rai, and the Union Minister, Uma Bharti, who was despatched by the party leadership to dissuade them from precipitating the crisis.

Ms. Bharti, who was in Aydhoya overnight, met Mr. Rai for nearly 45 minutes on her way back to New Delhi after which he told reporters that the rebels' position had been explained to her and it would be conveyed to the BJP central leadership.

The rebels, who had threatened to form an outfit and put up a candidate for the coming Rajya Sabha elections, met at an undisclosed venue here and are understood to have deferred plans following the central leadership's efforts to talk to them.

Mr. Rai said Ms. Bharti was ``sympathetic'' to the dissidents' demands and assured them that their feelings would be conveyed to the party high command.

The rebel leader placed three demands: removal of Lalji Tandon as the leader of the BJP legislature party, withdrawal of the party from the Mayawati Ministry and end to ``atrocities'' by the State administration on dissident MLAs and withdrawal of cases against them. Toning down their belligerence, Mr. Rai said the rebels would vote in the Rajya Sabha poll according to their conscience. — PTI

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