Going…going…going…and finally gone!

By Abhishek Pandey

Kalyan Singh, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Vice-President of BJP, resigned from all his posts in the party alleging that he was humiliated and insulted in the party. Mr Singh has returned the party ticket which was given to him to contest in the next LS elections to contest from Etah. BJP’s stalwart Mr Singh’s resignation from BJP, which is struggling with its inner conflicts, has given a blow ahead of expected Lok Sabha polls in April-may. According to PTI, Mr Singh was miffed with the party for giving ticket to Ashok Pradhan which he wanted in next LS elections. He blamed Mr Pradhan for sabotaging his son’s chances in last assembly elections two years ago from deboi seat in Aligarh district.

After his resignation from BJP, Kalyan Singh asserted that he would campaign for Samajwadi Party in the next Loksabha Elections. He also asserted that he would like to campaign for Atal jee if he would contest in next elections from Lucknow. He clarified that he is not going to say good-bye to active politics but would not join any party or form any new political party.

Kalyan Singh belongs to Lodh Rajput community of Uttar Pradesh. Lodh heartland consist of 11 LS seats and it stretches across Aligarh, Firozabad, Farukhabad and Agra. He not only has electrifying impact on Lodh community in and around western UP but also has a reach to OBC voters in other parts of the state. Lodhs constitute only two percents in the state but in these 11 constituencies they constitute about 30 to 35 percents. BJP may loose his ground there after Kalyan’s departure from the party.

Samajwadi Party, which claim to be a secular party, has accepted Kalyan Singh as his associate but officially Kalyan Singh is not in the party as yet. SP wants to enhance its base in UP because it has lost the last state election badly against Mayawati, who is emerging as a big political leader in India. Samajwadi Party, self-claimed secular party, has accepted Kalyan Singh, a communal leader termed by SP for his inaction as CM in 1992 during Babri mosque demolition. The statement only shows the hypocrisy of Mr Amar Singh, who is saying now that Kalyan Singh, is not communal. The reason must be that Kalyan is campaigning for Samajwadi party and it may enhance the political power of Samajwadi party and it may also elevate the height of Mr Amar Singh with in his party and in UPA.

This is not the first time that Kalyan has came closer to Samajwadi party after his first came out in 1999 from BJP made his relations close to the Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief of SP. Kalyan Singh rejoined the BJP after five years of vanvaas from 1999 to 2004 before last Lok Sabha elections in 2004.

BJP is in troubled water these days when senor party leaders like Mr Kalyan Singh and Bhairo Singh Shekhawat are adversely affecting inner health of the party. This is the right time for BJP’s Prime ministerial candidate, Mr Advani, to show his kundali to pandit jee (Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee) and ask for solution before LS elections to make his dream true.

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