The day after, Kalyan is alone

Ministers loyal to Kalyan Singh Om Prakash Singh, Hukum Singh and Ramapati Shastry told The Indian Express that they did not approve of Kalyan’s remarks against Vajpayee: “No one should consider himself above the party.

In the past also whoever tried were isolated. Kalyan Singh is to be blamed for his situation.” No minister or MLA or party office-bearer either resigned in protest or expressed sympathy with him. Despite Kalyan’s bid to woo MLAs, ony three went to his house and one of them was Samata Party member Raghubar DayalVerma who was denied a berth in the Ram Prakash Gupta Ministry.

Kalyan Singh had made six of his supporters chairmen of corporations just before resigning but except for corporator Kusum Rai no one was at his residence today. Even members of the Kalyan Fan’s Association were not around.

On Saturday night and the whole of Sunday, Kalyan called more than 100 MLAs he used to consider loyal but apart from Verma only Kailash Rajput and Ram Chandra Maurya turned up at his house. Maurya, however, later said he had gone to his house to invite Kalyan to his son’s marriage.

About 200 party workers including 10 corporators gathered at his house in a show of support. They raised slogans “Kalyan Singh kalyan karo, Mandir ka nirman karo, Ram bhakta Kalyan zindabad, Abhi to ye angarai hai aage aur larai hai.” They heaped flowers and garlands on him.

Later, Kalyan Singh distributed the copies of the 1998 election agenda including the temple as a plank. Atal Behari Vajpayee, at a press conference in the city,had said in the 1998 election that the Ram temple was not one of the issues. “If the Prime Minister can tell a lie, you can imagine the fate of the party,” he told party workers.

Addressing them, he said, “I wanted to die as a party worker but Vajpayee does not want. On December 3, I will be expelled from the party. Only after that I will announce my future strategy.”

According to his supporters, he will wait till December 3 and after that play the Hindutva card. Kalyan Singh will also try to topple the Gupta Ministry. Even if he wins over 15 to 20 MLAs Gupta Ministry will fall.He has decided to hold press conferences for three days from tomorrow to show “a lot of material.”

Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Govindacharya arrived in Lucknow and met leaders including Kalyan loyalists.

Govindacharya ruled out a split in the party in the state. “I do not see any split in the party in the wake of Kalyan Singh’s suspension.”

“I have come here to ensure that Opposition parties do not takeadvantage of the present political situation,” he added.

Hinting that BJP Central leadership would not hesitate to take a tougher action against Singh, Govindacharya asserted no one was indispensable in the party.