Once a poster boy for the BJP propagated hard-line Hindutva, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh is up in arms against the party leadership and is reported to have held talks with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav at an undisclosed location in East Delhi.
The reports come as the BJP gears up to resume its ticket selection process. Kalyan is said to sore with the party over its “unilateral” decision to field former union minister Ashok Pradhan as its candidate for the Bulandshahr Lok Sabha seat.
The SP says no such meeting took place, but added that it wasn’t averse to the idea of re-embracing the Lodh Rajput leader in an attempt to up stakes in the looming Lok Sabha polls.
Adding to BJP woes, Bollywood icon Sanjay Dutt, a day after taking the people of Lucknow by storm by making his first appearance in the city after being named as Samajwadi Party candidate, said he was planning to seek former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s blessings for his career as a politician.
Dutt and SP general secretary Amar Singh have now sought a meeting with the BJP veteran, who’s been representing Lucknow in the Lok Sabha for the last 18 years on the trot, but is unlikely to contest again, due to his failing health.
Dutt, while speaking to the media had made it amply clear on Saturday that he would withdraw from the contest if Vajpayee was fielded as a candidate.
Incidentally, reports of Kalyan Singh’s meeting follow an open attack he launched against the party for being soft on terror.
He had cast aspersions on LK Advani’s performance during the latter’s stint as union home minister, alleging that he failed to tackle the menace in the aftermath of the assault on Parliament.
The reports come as the BJP gears up to resume its ticket selection process. Kalyan is said to sore with the party over its “unilateral” decision to field former union minister Ashok Pradhan as its candidate for the Bulandshahr Lok Sabha seat.
The SP says no such meeting took place, but added that it wasn’t averse to the idea of re-embracing the Lodh Rajput leader in an attempt to up stakes in the looming Lok Sabha polls.
Adding to BJP woes, Bollywood icon Sanjay Dutt, a day after taking the people of Lucknow by storm by making his first appearance in the city after being named as Samajwadi Party candidate, said he was planning to seek former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s blessings for his career as a politician.
Dutt and SP general secretary Amar Singh have now sought a meeting with the BJP veteran, who’s been representing Lucknow in the Lok Sabha for the last 18 years on the trot, but is unlikely to contest again, due to his failing health.
Dutt, while speaking to the media had made it amply clear on Saturday that he would withdraw from the contest if Vajpayee was fielded as a candidate.
Incidentally, reports of Kalyan Singh’s meeting follow an open attack he launched against the party for being soft on terror.
He had cast aspersions on LK Advani’s performance during the latter’s stint as union home minister, alleging that he failed to tackle the menace in the aftermath of the assault on Parliament.
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