However, Kalyan Singh asserted in Lucknow that there was no threat to his leadership.

About 30 party dissident MLAs, who are camping here for the last two days, met Vajpayee, party chief Kushabhau Thakre, Union ministers LK Advani and MM Joshi and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate change of leadership in the state on the plea that the continuance of Kalyan Singh would seriously erode the party's support base.

Devender Singh Bhole, who recently resigned from the Kalyan Singh ministry, Rajesh Pandey and SS Dang (both MLAs) told reporters that they had apprised the leadership about the concern of the rank and file of the party over the ``dictatorial'' attitude and way of functioning ofSingh.

Rajnath Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, claimed that the memorandum carried the signatures of 56 MLAs.

The dissidents also levelled serious charges of corruption and nepotism against the CM and said people as well as the party workers were getting alienated from the party following the style of functioning of the state government.

Reacting to the dissident BJP MLAs' meeting with Vajpayee, Kalyan Singh said ``there is no threat to my leadership or to BJP-led coalition government in the state. Everyone has the right to go to New Delhi''.

PWD minister Kalraj Mishra and Urban Development minister Lalji Tandon said, ``whatever is happening is not good for the party''. They expressed the hope that the problems facing the party would be resolved soon by the central leadership.

The dissidents, however, ruled out any split in the party following their demand and said ``whatever we are demanding is for the betterment of the party. They will not demand anything which would hurt the partyinterests''.

``Our demand is not against any individual. We don't want that Uttar Pradesh should face a situation like that of Delhi and Rajasthan where party lost badly in the last Assembly polls,'' they said.

Asked what would be their next step if central leadership did not concede their demand, Pandey said, ``We will finalise our strategy accordingly'' and added he was hopeful that party high command would consider it.

Claiming the support of 60 MLAs out of 177 the party has in the 425-member Assembly, Pandey said dissidents were not for any position or posts and are ready to give in writing to the leadership in this regard.

``We are committed party workers. Our campaign is solely aimed at retrieving the party image in the state'', they said.

Asked why the central leadership was not conceding the demand of replacing Singh whose ouster had been sought several times in the past, they said, ``This time it won't be so. The Prime Minister has assured us that he will look into the matter''.