Breaking silence on the strategy for the forthcoming UP Assembly polls for the first time, BJP general secretary Pyarelal Khandelwal said that the party will make Ram Mandir an election issue. He also hinted at a tie-up with Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal in the state. Khandelwal said that the temple was not on the NDA agenda but continued to remian on the BJP agenda.
In a separate statement in Lucknow, BJP Uttar Pradesh chief Kalraj Mishra told reporters also reasserted the same sentiment. He said that the BJP and RLD alliance was in final stages of negotiations. He, however, denied having struck any deal with Ajit Singh on creation of a separate Harit Pradesh.

Stating his party was always in favour of smaller states, Mishra denied any deal had been worked out with RLD on its demand for Harit Pradesh, a separate state comprising western districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Expressing reservations over the pre-condition of Harit Pradesh set by the RLD for joining the NDA, LCP president and energy minister Naresh Agarwal said, “I am not against Ajit Singh joining the NDA but the proposed alliance should be unconditional.” Bureau Report