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Advani is feeling suffocated: Kalyan

Kalyan Singh is in New Delhi, sending political temperature soaring even as the mercury dips. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, who has been expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party for six years, declared that he is in the national capital working towards the formation of his party.

Kalyan Singh has also declared that once his party was formed, many senior leaders in the BJP would join him. He had yesterday stated that former Delhi chief ministers Madanlal Khurana and Sahib Singh Verma fell in this category. However, both Khurana and Verma have denied the statement. Both have also refused to meet the press.

While Kalyan Singh had earlier stated that he would be meeting both of them, neither, so far, have yet met him. However, the city is abuzz with rumours that a meeting or two might take place later tonight or tomorrow. "Even if they meet, it will be just two old friends getting together. One should not read anything political in such a meeting," said a senior BJP leader.

Khurana has categorically ruled out meeting Kalyan Singh, saying any meeting at this juncture would be misinterpreted. "We are old friends but a meeting now would send out the wrong signals," said Khurana.

Verma said that if he were to meet Kalyan Singh, he would advise the former UP chief minister restraint. "I will tell him to think over what has happened over the past few months, to look at his errors and not to take any hasty decision," said Verma.

Kalyan Singh once again hit out against the BJP leadership, and this time included the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in his attacks. He said that on September 19 last, Khurana had met him in Lucknow with an assurance from the RSS chief, Rajendra Thakur alias Raju Bhayya. "Khurana said that Raju Bhayya had promised me that I will not be replaced as chief minister. Can Khurana tell me why this promise has been broken? Is it because he has no answer that he is not meeting me?" asked Kalyan Singh.

Khurana, however, claimed that the promise to Kalyan Singh was broken because he had not kept his word. "Kalyan Singh had promised to behave, not to create trouble. Since he did not keep his word, we had no choice," said the BJP leader.

Kalyan Singh once again charged the BJP leadership, especially Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, against whom he has spewed much venom over the past few days, with a deep rooted conspiracy to oust him.

He claimed that Home Minister L K Advani was feeling suffocated under Vajpayee who was forcefully implementing his agenda and placing his men in key positions in the government and party. "Advani does not speak out because of the party discipline, but he is not happy with the way things have been going," stated Singh.

Kalyan Singh is considered close to Advani, but in the matter of the former's expulsion, the home minister has kept quiet.

Nevertheless, despite the tranquil appearance, the situation is being watched closely. There is also an expectation that Kalyan Singh might declare the date when his new party will be announced. Singh has declared that his new party will fight for the rights of the other backward classes and for social justice, and there has been some speculation that he might team up with the likes of Mulayam Singh Yadav or Laloo Prasad Yadav.

Kalyan Singh is a Lodh by caste, considered part of the OBCs, and one of the more popular leaders in Uttar Pradesh. However, he is, or at least, was considered a votary of Hindutva and it was during his reign in Uttar Pradesh that the Babri mosque was destroyed in 1992. Singh had also flayed the BJP central leadership, especially Vajpayee, for not building a Ram temple on the site where the mosque once stood.

Nevertheless, since his expulsion, Kalyan Singh has distanced himself from the Ram temple movement, saying it was no longer his concern. This move is seen as his attempt to make himself more acceptable to the OBC parties, most of which had opposed the destruction of the Babri mosque.

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