NEW DELHI, 30 November 2005 — The Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday decided to serve notices on Uma Bharati and some Madhya Pradesh legislators who walked out of a state legislature party meeting, asking them why they should not be expelled from the party. The BJP suspended some of her supporters, including Prahlad Patel.
Party General Secretary Pramod Mahajan, who was one of the party’s central observers at the meeting held Monday to elect Shivraj Singh Chauhan as its leader, asked party workers not to participate in Uma’s planned padyatra (march) to Ayodhya as it was not authorized.
On Monday, Uma and 17 MLAs, including three ministers loyal to her, stormed out of the legislature party meeting, after a heated exchange over Chauhan’s nomination as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee denounced Uma’s walkout. “Whatever has happened is the ultimate example of indiscipline. The discipline within the party and healthy politics are harmed when lust for power takes over,” he said. He also said that such actions would not be tolerated.
The firebrand Madhya Pradesh leader hit back. “I am the real BJP because I have always been true to its ideology. Nobody can throw me out, “ she said.
As for indiscipline, she said, “Arun Jaitley and Pramod Mahajan are guilty of indiscipline. Let there be a debate on indiscipline.” Party President Lal Krishna Advani’s remarks on Jinnah were also tantamount to indiscipline, she added.
Throwing an open challenge to senior leaders Vajpayee and Advani, Uma said she was ready to debate with them the issue of indiscipline and party ideology claiming that she alone has been steadfast in her commitment to BJP’s ideals.
She advised both leaders “not to become the pilot of a flight that has been hijacked at gunpoint.”
Denouncing the party’s parliamentary board, Uma said the decision to impose Chauhan as chief minister was against the party’s and the country’s constitution.
Rejecting the argument that she too was nominated by the parliamentary board for the post, she said that in her case and in the case of Babulal Gaur the party MLAs were given a chance to oppose the board’s decision.
She said the real issue was the “unconstitutional way” the party leaders behaved at Monday’s meeting. Sticking by her stand that the chief minister has been imposed by the party leadership, she said the views of the legislators were not taken into account.
