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Kalyan's 'arrogance' sealed his fate

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Flagrant defiance culminating in the refusal to receive the prime minister's phone calls fast eroded the tolerance levels of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is now preparing to marginalise Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh in the state party hierarchy, Bharatiya Janata Party sources said today.

"You cannot get away with defying the prime minister, whatever your problem may be. Kalyan Singh has crossed all limits by not answering phone calls from the prime minister and then claiming that he is waiting for Vajpayeeji's phone call before relinquishing the chief ministership," top BJP sources told rediff.com.

They pointed out that Kalyan Singh was "taking too many things for granted" and his perception that only he alone could revitalise the BJP in the state had alienated the central party leadership. The prime minister had underscored this by saying that "there is a limit to his defiance." The sources said that whatever be the political developments in Uttar Pradesh, one thing was certain -- Kalyan Singh's wings would be clipped to the extent that he was isolated.

"The central leadership has already commenced moves to enlist the loyalty of 155 BJP MLAs in UP on whom Kalyan Singh is banking," the sources pointed out, adding that "this time he has bitten more than he can chew. He will have to pay dearly for his defiance of the prime minister."

The sources said instead of exercising restraint and patience as advised by the central leadership, Kalyan Singh went to town maligning Vajpayee for "easing me out" soon after Ram Prakash Gupta's name was announced as his replacement. Kalyan Singh went about saying that he would not take things lying down and railed against Vajpayee openly in the presence of senior state party leaders. He, thus, effectively burnt his bridges with the central leadership, the sources said.

In the late night meeting yesterday at the prime minister's residence, which included Vajpayee, BJP chief Kushabhau Thakre, Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and Union Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, it was decided that the outgoing UP chief minister has to be "disciplined". Repeated reference was made to Kalyan Singh's "arrogance" and "exaggerated personal worth in the politics of the state." The sources said it was unanimously decided that the party was supreme and partymen raising the banner of revolt, however obtusely, would be brought to book.

Ram Prakash Gupta, who later joined the high-level meeting at the prime minister's residence, is learnt to have been apprised of the central leadership's decisions and strategy pertaining to the outgoing chief minister.

Regarding the outgoing chief minister's allusion to the Ayodhya issue and Vajpayee's alleged backtracking on the issue, a BJP national general secretary asked, ''If he was so serious about these issues, why didn't he raise them when the Vajpayee government was re-elected," and added that Kalyan was playing "dirty politics."

A BJP vice-president contended, "Does he think we are all fools out here. Nobody is indispensable and the sooner Kalyan Singh realises it, the better it would be for him."

Senior BJP leaders in UP Kalraj Mishra, Rajnath Singh and Lalji Tandon have been categorically told that Ram Prakash Gupta is the central leadership's nominee and that they have to cooperate with him.

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