Ask BJP ministers in the Mayawati govt to mend their ways, legislators tell party chief

Sulking legislators demanded a review of the BJP-BSP alliance. They criticised BJP ministers in the Mayawati government and urged the party leadership to direct them to “mend their ways”.

Urban Development Minister Lalji Tandon, considered close to the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, bore the brunt.

Naidu, who allowed legislators to air their grievances freely, had to intervene when some of the legislators strayed from the agenda and started attacking Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. “This is not the agenda of the meeting,” Naidu said.

However, the free-wheeling articulation by legislators exposed the chinks in the BJP’s armour and serious infighting within the Hindutva fold.

Legislators had a number of complaints against BJP ministers who, according to them, were treating even the party legislators with contempt.

“I can understand if the BSP ministers are not responding, but BJP ministers’ behaviour is beyond comprehension,” said BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan.

After hearing legislators’ complaints, Naidu has decided to call a meeting of BJP ministers in the Mayawati government.

Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, who attended the meeting for about an hour, set the agenda by saying the focus should be on methods to enlarge the party’s support base.

In a clear signal to dissidents, Advani said the party’s dwindling support base had nothing to do with the BSP-BJP alliance, barely 11 months old.

“Even when we contested elections under the BJP regime, the party slipped to the third position,” Advani said, making it clear that the forum must not be used to run down the coalition experiment in UP.

Taking the cue from Advani, legislators launched a scathing attack on BJP ministers and blamed them for ignoring the party’s interest.

Tandon who heads the BJP legislature party came under sharp criticism for not holding regular interactive sessions with the party legislators.

Apparently, the MLA turned their ire towards Tandon, because he is considered to be architect of the BJP-BSP alliance.

BJP general secretary Rajnath Singh kept silent throughout the meeting though a section of legislators raised the issue of detention of Ragujraj Paratp Singh alias Rajja Bhaiyya under POTA and described the case as motivated by political vendetta of the Mayawati government.

Advani reportedly assured the party legislators that he would look into it at a broader level to prevent misuse of POTA.

With UP accounting for 81 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP leadership is keen to devise a strategy to maximise its gains.