Bajpai elected unopposed as UP BJP chief

After a very long time, all senior state leaders of the BJP appeared at one stage on Sunday and gave tips to newly-elected state president Laxmikant Bajpai for success in his first challenge of the Lok Sabha elections. They asked Bajpai to get ready for mission-2014 and repeat the history of 1998 when the party had won 58 Lok Sabha seats in UP.

During the conference of newly-elected members of the party state council, election in-charge Kaptan Singh Solanki first announced the unopposed election of Bajpai as the new state president for the next three years. This was followed by speeches by former state presidents, MPs and other office-bearers. Former state president Om Prakash Singh asked Bajpai to "fight against external rivals and kill internal evils". Singh said there is a section within the party which was working for its own interest and not for the party. "Bajpaiji first you remove these elements," he said, without identifying these elements.

Singh said all past state presidents from Kalraj Msihra to Surya Pratap Shahi had will power, ability and experience and they made efforts to strengthen the party. "But they could not fight against internal evils. This problem could be removed when everyone will think about the party and not himself," Singh said.

Party national secretary Santosh Gangwar said that the party's performance in the past three Lok Sabha elections and past three UP Assembly elections had raised questions over party organisation. He said ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, leaders should first evaluate the work they have done so far in their districts and constituencies.

National secretary Varun Gandhi appealed to Bajpai to make himself approachable to every person. Varun said, "We currently have 10 MPs only. If we have to win 40-50 seats, we need to help old party workers in their needs, like medical treatment and marriage of their daughters." He said there will be "a wave against Samajwadi Party" in UP before the Lok Sabha elections and the workers are needed to get ready to cash in on that situation.

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