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Rajnath Singh dismisses change of guard in UP

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh unit president Rajnath Singh today said there was no question of a change in leadership of the state government. ''I do not think a change in state leadership is needed at the moment,'' he said while talking to reporters at the party headquarters in Lucknow. He also refused to admit there was any political instability and uncertainty in the state. ''The government is running smoothly,'' he added.

He said the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections in the state would be analysed and it should not be linked to the change in leadership. ''I have already owned the responsibility for the party's drubbing (in the elections) and I am waiting for the decision of the party high command,'' he quipped. He said the party's state election committee would meet tomorrow to decide the date of the next meeting to review the election results. The review exercise would be completed before November 15, he added.

The state BJP chief also refused to comment on the reported statement of Chief Minister Kalyan Singh that if the anti-incumbency factor was applied to the government, it applied to the candidates as well, implying shortcomings in the ticket distribution. ''I am not aware of any such statement from the chief minister,'' Rajnath Singh said.

When asked if the chief minister had asked for changing about 20 candidates, Rajnath Singh said the final decision was taken by the party's central election committee and it was acceptable to all. In reply to another question, he said the proceedings of the central election committee were confidential and it would be a violation of the party's constitution if anything was revealed.

Rajnath Singh, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, feigned ignorance about the statements of the leaders of its allies who sought to be consulted before any changes were made in the leadership of the state. He said there was no discord among the allies and the UP issue was not likely to be even discussed in the meeting of the BJP national executive on November 3 and 4 in Delhi.

UNI

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