BJP-BSP meet on Sunday to end UP crisis

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday decided to hold a meeting with Bahujan Samaj Party leaders on Sunday, September 14, to end the Uttar Pradesh impasse.

Both BSP supremo Kanshi Ram and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati will be invited for the meeting in which BJP state leaders, including chief minister-in-waiting Kalyan Singh, will also participate.

The announcement was made by BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit chief Rajnath Singh who reiterated that Kalyan Singh would take over as chief minister from Mayawati on September 21.

Rajnath Singh was addressing the media after a two-day meeting of the state leaders with the party's central leadership, including party president L K Advani and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Though Kalyan Singh did not attend Thursday's meeting, he was present on Friday following the central leadership's summons.

Called by Vajpayee, the meeting was also attended by former party president Murli Manohar Joshi, vice-president Sunder Singh Bhandari who is in charge of UP affairs, general secretary Kushabhau Thakre, UP ministers Kalraj Misra and Lalji Tandon.

Addressing the media, Kalyan Singh said he would abide by the central leadership's decision. But he was evasive when asked if he would take charge from Mayawati on September 21.

Asked why he was specially summoned for the meeting, Kalyan Singh said the party leadership wanted to sort out many issues.

As for the special court order framing charges against him in the Ayodhya case, he said the move was ''politically motivated''.

As the ''chargesheet was different from the one in a criminal case'', this would not be a hurdle in his taking over as chief minister, the BJP vice-president added.

Meanwhile, Kalraj Misra claimed that the BJP and the BSP had agreed not to change the assembly speaker.

Misra was talking to the media soon after his arrival in Patna.

EARLIER REPORT:
Mayawati-Kalyan Singh conflict plunges UP into deeper crisis

UNI