BHOPAL, 19 October 2005 — The ongoing melodrama within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) being enacted by the loyalists of the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharati in the tussle for power shows no signs of abating.
Despite being snubbed by the state and central leadership, BJP MLAs in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly loyal to Uma are making a beeline to their leader’s residence here voicing their demand for her reinstatement as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Amid slogans, asking the fiery Uma to strive harder for a comeback, most of the 60 MLAs, and a large number of party workers, visiting her were of the view that the present incumbent Babulal Gaur should have resigned as the chief minister soon after the Hubli court had acquitted Uma in a rioting case.
Uma, who is co-incharge of BJP for the Bihar elections which are under way, is camping in Bhopal for the last three days and appears to be silently orchestrating the melodrama trying to force the BJP high command through the MLAs loyal to her to have a second thought over the change of guard in Madhya Pradesh.
According to unconfirmed reports, seeing Uma’s stance to Bihar polls which she has deliberately ignored to propel herself to power in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP high command is understood to have stripped her of her Bihar charge.
Meanwhile, reports reaching here said that two Madhya Pradesh ministers and an MLA close to Uma met BJP president L.K. Advani in New Delhi yesterday and handed over a strong-worded letter to him. The letter claimed to have been signed by over 100 MLAs. The loyalists have demanded that a central observer be sent to the state to “elicit their views.” But Advani is reported to have told them to wait till the Bihar elections are over.
Another letter, signed by 20 more MLAs, sought urgent convening of the legislature party to decide on the leadership issue.
