BJP's 'win-win' in UP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may be deflated by its performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections but at least one faction of the party has found a reason to celebrate. This is over Uma Bharati’s victory from the Charkhari seat, defeating her Samajwadi Party rival by over 25,000 votes. Indeed, many of those who had opposed her in Madhya Pradesh were learnt to have been propitiating the gods to ensure her a comfortable win and it seems their prayers were answered. Their happiness, however, has less to do with wishing the doughty Bharti well as much as ensuring that she stayed out of MP politics. “No one wants her losing the Charkhari seat and coming back to Madhya Pradesh,” a senior leader remarked.