Rajnath, Kalraj at loggerheads again

Rajnath, Kalraj at loggerheads again
AMIT SHARMA

LUCKNOW, JAN 15: Fissures within the Uttar Pradesh government and the BJP have brought the Chief Minister Rajnath Singh and the party chief Kalraj Mishra face to face once again.

Kalraj Mishra obliquely put Rajnath in the dock when he said that false promises should not be made with farmers. At the same time, the Chief Minister has expressed his displeasure over Kalraj's open sessions withfarmers, apparently because these expose the shortcomings of his government.

Such developments do not augur well for the party which is preparing itselfto face the assembly polls, with the anti-incumbency factor and an obvious downslide in the party's popularity to counter.

Kalraj's statements on the temple issue, each day with a new approach, arealready adding to the woes of Rajnath who is answerable to his allies.

Mishra picked the temple issue soon after Prime Minister Vajpayee endorsed the issue by terming it as an expression of national sentiment. He also took special care that a resolution on the sensitive issue be moved in the two-day state executive committee meeting of the party that concluded in Jhansi on January 12. Party leaders in the meeting expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. This came as another setback for Rajnath for whom law and order is the topmost priority.

The Loktantrik Congress Party (LCP), an ally to the Rajnath government has sought an explanation as to why the BJP steered clear of such issues while they (the allies) were sharing the government. ``They (the BJP)are trying to raise the issue on one pretext or the other while the VHP isgoing ahead with announcement of temple construction dates. The LCP will nottolerate these developments,'' said Siraj Mehndi, party spokesman.

The reaction from allies is a natural cause of worry for Rajnath but Mishrais unrepentant. ``The temple exists there and the only job left for the government is to provide the same a magnifecent shape,'' he said.

Yet Kalraj is also not ready to buy Rajnath's displeasure on holding of kisan panchayats despite the fact that in the first such exercise near Faizabad last month, the farmers openly lodged their complaints against the state government. ``Such exercises will continue because these help us understand the problems farmers face,'' said Kalraj.

The party organisation has decided to observe the ongoing year as the`farmers' year' and is concentrating to grab a major chunk of thisformidable vote-bank through its various pro-farmer programmes whichinclude holdidng of panchayats, meetings and ensuring better facilities to farmers. The party has planned to hold a farmers' mega-meet in the state capital on April 6.