New Delhi: BJP may not take back former
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh despite his
overtures through support of the Ayodhya issue after he fell
out with Samajwadi Party, but his son Rajbir is likely to be
inducted into the party in a few months.
Another rebel leader Uma Bharti, however, may be welcomed
into the BJP a few months from now as she did not deviate from
the party's core ideology after quitting BJP. She has also
expressed her desire to make her Bhartiya Janshakti Party a
part of the BJP-led NDA.
Highly placed BJP sources said Kalyan Singh had spoiled
his chances of entry into his parent party after he quit it
twice. Moreover, Kalyan Singh was highly critical of BJP on
the two occasions that he walked out.
"When he left the party and became close to Mulayam Singh
Yadav, he had apologised for his role in the demolition of the
Babri disputed structure. Now, he is again speaking of
building a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya," a BJP leader said.
Sources said Kalyan Singh after his earlier induction
into the party, left abruptly on the eve of the last Lok Sabha
elections. "His candidature from Eta for the general elections
had already been announced. When he left, it was a major
embarrassment for the party," another party MP said.
However, keeping in mind his hold on the OBC votes --
especially those from his Lodh community -- in western Uttar
Pradesh, BJP is likely to induct his son Rajbir into the
party once a new party president takes over.
Rajbir's induction into BJP will placate Kalyan Singh and
also add his strengthens to the party while keeping at bay
the liabilities associated with him, sources said.
This tactic was earlier employed by Mulayam Singh Yadav
when he made Rajbir a SP national General Secretary and kept
Kalyan Singh at an arm's length.
Interestingly, both L K Advani and Rajnath Singh camps
are not keen on inducting Kalyan into the party. Rajnath does
not want any competition in UP politics where he will focus
after his presidentship comes to an end. Even the RSS is not
impressed with Kalyan Singh after his dalliance with Mulayam
Singh Yadav.
BJP leaders feel that Kalyan Singh has lost the aura he
had during the Ayodhya movement days. Even his hold on the
Lodh votes is under a cloud as Rajbir had lost the Atrauli
assembly seat -- which was Kalyan's stronghold -- in the 2007
UP elections.
The overbearing and domineering attitude of Kalyan Singh
during his days in BJP still rankles some senior leaders. He
got his protege Kusum Rai into the Rajya Sabha despite
objections from several quarters.
BJP ticket distribution in Uttar Pradesh elections in
2007 was done almost entirely by Kalyan Singh. He was even
declared the Chief Ministerial candidate though he had left
the party once. Yet, BJP failed miserably.
His unsavoury comments against BJP patriarch Atal Bihari
Vajpayee after leaving the party is still fresh, the sources
added.
PTI
First Published: Friday, November 27, 2009, 19:57