Uma Bharti extends olive branch to BJP

Uma Bharti, the saffron-clad sadhvi who had once attacked LK Advani in full view of television cameras before she was expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2005, today offered her support for the senior BJP leader, the party’s prime ministerial choice.

Uma, who now heads her own outfit — the Bhartiya Lok Janshakti Party — in Madhya Pradesh, termed her meeting with Advani as the “return of a daughter to her father”.

Though her offer for campaigning for the BJP had raised many an eyebrow, Bharti said she had no intention of joining her former party. The BJP is likely to accept Uma’s offer of campaigning in non-BJP ruled states as its president Rajnath Singh has welcomed it.

 

Uma’s political fortunes were plummeting as in the recent Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, her party had barely managed to win five seats, while she lost from Tikamgarh, her home constituency.

She had recently extended the olive branch to BJP in her letter addressed to Rajnath Singh and L K Advani. Uma showered praises on Advani and strongly supported his candidature for Prime Ministership.

“I will campaign for Advaniji in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and I would consider myself fortunate if I get even one vote for him,” she had said at a press conference.

Uma Bharti was suspended from the party in 2004 but her suspension was revoked in May 2005 due to pressure from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and she was appointed member of the party’s national executive.

Later that year, she was expelled from the BJP when she revolted against the appointment of Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the Madhya Pradesh chief minister.

However, many in the BJP feel Uma was desperate to return to her old party. Her efforts are reportedly backed by her former loyalist in the Madhya Pradesh unit of the BJP.

However, as Uma’s entry into the BJP would only kickstart a factional feud in Madhya Pradesh, the central leaders do not seem to be in a hurry for admitting her back.