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PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
LUCKNOW, APRIL 7: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh today hardened his stand against the "handful of detractors" in the party who were frequently demanding change of guard in the State and urged the Central leadership to take appropriate disciplinary action against them."The Central leadership should see to it that the handful of detractors in the party are not allowed to violate party discipline and hence it should decide the issue once and for all," Singh told reporters here.
The Chief Minister described the visit of some dissident Bharatiya Janata Party members of the Legislative Assembly to New Delhi recently and their meeting with the prime minister, home minister and the party president seeking a change in leadership as ``contrary to the wishes of a majority of the BJP legislators and its alliance partners.''
The predominant sentiment in the rank and file of the party was against "such disgruntled elements".
"I have asked the partymen to keep their cool," Singh added.The Chief Ministersaid during his meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at Mathura and Agra yesterday, he had been given a clean chit with Vajpayee reiterating there would be no change in the State's leadership.Similar views were expressed by the party leadership at the national executive of the party at Panaji last week, Singh said.
The chief minister said the activities of a handful of detractors were only aimed at weakening the party.
No government would be able to perform its obligations if change of guard was demanded at regular intervals, Singh remarked, adding that the Central leadership should decide whether a handful of legislators had the right to impose their views on everyone in this manner.
The Chief Minister asserted that he would not change his style of functioning which had drawn fire from his detractors.
"If transparency in the administration, firmness, committment to the development and corruption-free governance is an eyesore for someone, it will not deter me and I will continue to work inthis style, come what may", Singh asserted.
On the complaint regarding his style of functioning, the Chief Minister said, "These MLAs have never come to me with this sort of a complaint. Nor did they say anything when I would meet them in the lobby regularly during the just-concluded Budget session of the State Assembly."
"I do not find anything wrong in my style of functioning and will not change it", he reiterated.
Asked if he would not like to meet the dissident MLAs, the Chief Minister said, "My doors are always open for everybody and they are most welcome.""I harbour no ill-feeling towards them", he said, adding he always wanted to keep the party intact.
Singh termed as "ridiculous" the reported threat by the dissident MLAs that they would resign if their demand was not met. He refused to comment when pointed out that some party leaders were encouraging his detractors."You will get some positive signals from the Central leadership in the next three to four days," the Chief Minister remarked.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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