NEW DELHI, January 15: Following the solid drubbing in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad elections, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Kanshi Ram may now be willing to go in for seat-sharing arrangements with other parties in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.With his party's dismal performance in the UP Parishad elections lurking in his mind, Kanshi Ram met Congress chief Sitaram Kesri in an attempt to convince him about the need for seat-adjustment between the two parties in UP and adjoining Madhya Pradesh.
The talks remained inconclusive, and are likely to be resumed on Saturday. He has in the meanwhile unilaterally announced his party's decision not to field any candidate against CWC members Arjun Singh and Madhavrao Scindia.
The BSP supremo gave an indication of his thinking on the issue last night after a meeting of Jan Morcha leaders at former prime minister Chandra Shekhar's official residence. He told reporters that as the BSP president, it was he, and not his protege Mayawati, who would be
distributing party tickets for the coming polls.
Reiterating her earlier stand that the BSP would contest all 85 seats in the State, former UP chief minister Mayawati had last week stated that her party would field candidates even in Ballia and Baghpat, constituencies held respectively by Chandra Shekhar and Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party chief Ajit Singh.
Observers see in the BSP supremo's statement not only a concerted attempt to wean the party away from Mayawati's hardline stance as far as seat-sharing was concerned, but also a realization that his party may end up winning a lesser number of seats.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
