Uma missing in MP credits

BJP chief L.K. Advani today called Madhya Pradesh a laboratory for testing the party’s ideology but the name of a chief engineer was mi...

int(2)

BJP chief L.K. Advani today called Madhya Pradesh a laboratory for testing the party’s ideology but the name of a chief engineer was missing. In his first speech in the state capital after the suspension of Uma Bharati, Advani celebrated the success in civic elections, with no reference to the sanyasin.

That was contrary to the expectation of Bharati’s supporters at Motilal Nehru Stadium who had gathered to hear the party president make a dramatic U-turn. Instead, he addressed the newly elected members of the nagarpalika and nagarpanchayat, leaving it to party general secretary and MP in-charge Arun Jaitley to field the tough questions.

‘‘She (Bharati) had met Advaniji a couple of times and the matter is under his consideration and a decision on that would be taken by him (Advani) at an appropriate time,’’ was all Jaitley would say.

Story continues below this ad

Later, speaking to The Indian Express, Jaitley denied the existence of a third letter from Bharati, criticising the second-rung leadership. Both Bharati and Advani had also denied the letter, excerpts of which were published in a news magazine.

Bharati’s supporters from Chhatarpur raised slogans, as Advani slammed the UPA government for ‘‘compromising’’ on internal security. The only reference to their leader came in a pat to the state government for developmental activities carried out ‘‘first by Uma Bharati and now Babulal Gaur’’. ‘‘It’s (MP) a laboratory for testing the ideology of the party. And for sure, the dream of the party can only be realised by our successes in this state,’’ he said.