Aligarh mayor, 17 other Kalyan Singh loyalists quit BJP
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

ALIGARH, DECEMBER 12: Aligarh Mayor Asutosh Varshney and 17 other corporators on Sunday quit the BJP in protest against the expulsion of Kalyan Singh from the party.

``At least three more corporators are expected to resign within the next few days,'' Varshney said. Kalyan Singh was one of the senior-most BJP leaders and had ``built up the party in Uttar Pradesh from scratch'', he said, adding the BJP made a ``fatal mistake'' by expelling Singh from the party.

The Kalyan group would maintain its hold over the Aligarh Municipal Corporation with the help of other Opposition parties, including the SP, he claimed. Varshney said he was in a position to face ``any no-confidence motion if BJP corporators choose to bring in one.''

Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.