'Kushwaha was inducted under a BSP-BJP deal'

Bhartiya Janata Party leader and former president of Yuva Morcha Ramashish Rai on Monday alleged a deal was struck between some leaders of the party and former Bahujan Samaj Party leader Babu Singh Kushwaha for his induction in BJP.

"The former minister Kushwaha had a deal with some leaders of the party and it seems monetary help was taken from him for contesting elections," Rai alleged while talking to reporters in Lucknow.

He alleged that due to versted interests and personal gains some leaders got a most "controversial" person Kushwaha, who was facing corruption charges, join BJP.

Rai demanded that state BJP president Surya Pratap Shahi and national vice-president Vinay Katiyar be removed from the posts in connection with the induction of Kushwaha.

"Such leaders should be removed from their respective posts and they should apologise to the people of the state," he said. He said when anti-corruption campaign had been launched by L K Advani "a new hope" had emerged for BJP in UP.

"Under a conspiracy, Kushwaha and other tainted ministers of BSP government were taken in BJP. This has heavily dented the party prospects in the state," he said.

Rai said that now it was being projected that Kushwaha, being from a backward caste, would help the party in garnering support of the community. "First of all, he has no mass base. Secondly, there are number of big backward leaders in BJP like Uma Bharati and  Om Prakash Singh," he said.

The BJP leader said that when Uma Bharati was being sent to UP, some leaders opposed on the ground that what was the need of sening an "outsider" in the state.

He said similar incidents had happened in 2002 when he opposed BJP aligning with BSP to form the government as it would prove "fatal" for the party.

"The decision really proved fatal for the party and it slipped to fourth position," he said.

Claiming that there was a revolt-like situation in almost all the districts against the induction of Kushwaha, Rai said he has written a letter to Advani.

"I tried to meet him but it did not happen. I have written a letter to Advaniji requesting him to intervene immediately so that the party vould be saved from damage," he said. Rai said that he was ready to face the consequences for speaking the truth.