Bjp Not To Field Candidate Against Gujral

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has informally decided not to field any candidate against Prime Minister I K Gujral, the Janata Dal candidate from Jalandhar.

The party is also ready not to contest from the Baghpat Lok Sabha seat if the Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party (BKKP) leader, Ajit Singh, enters into a deal with the BJP and supports its government in Uttar Pradesh.Though the partys attitude towards Gujral is shaped by its commitment to keep the BJP-Akali Dal alliance going in Punjab, some BJP leaders hold that supporting a sober candidate like Gujral could help build up the partys image.

Senior BJP leaders have good personal rapport with the Prime Minister, a party office-bearer said.

BJP vice-president Madan Lal Khurana, also the partys in-charge for Punjab, has reportedly assured Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal that the BJP would not field a candidate against Gujral, the office-bearer said. After all, the Jalandhar seat was to be contested by the Akali Dal in the seat sharing arrangement, he pointed out.

However, the party officially maintained that it had not discussed its strategy for the Jalandhar seat.

Discussion on the seat was not a priority, BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan told newsmen on Monday after a meeting of the partys central election committee.

The form of alliance with BKKP chief Ajit Singh has to be decided by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and the partys state unit president Rajnath Singh. The central election committee has asked the state unit to formulate its strategy on this score.

The state unit was interested in the 10 BKKP MLAs whose support would make Kalyan Singhs government stable even if the BSP legislators are disqualified under the anti-defection clause. In the bargain, the BJP would not field a candidate against Singh, he said.

That would mean denial of party ticket to Som Pal who joined the BJP after an assurance that he would be the partys nominee from Baghpata Jat stronghold. Even if Pal did not win the seat, he was certain to divide Singhs Jat voters, a BKKP supporter held.

Pal would personally not be happy as he wanted to contest the Lok Sabha elections and demonstrate his role as a mass leader, a senior BJP leader said.

The party, however, might accommodate him by sending him to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, he disclosed.

Party may also ensure smooth sailing for BKKP leader Ajit Singh in Baghpat