Focus again on Gupta leadership

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 29.The not so bright picture that has emerged for the BJP in the Uttar Pradesh panchayat election results has brought into focus the issue of change of chief minister.

And as if to underscore this point, the BJP vice- president, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthi, said ``I do not rule out a change.''

The immediate task is to complete organisational elections in the State by the third week of July and elect the State president. Then, the party will make an overall assessment before taking any decision on changing the Chief Minister in August, party leaders have indicated.

Mr. Krishnamurthi emphasised that ``there will be no ad hoc decision, but changes cannot be ruled out'' to tone up the party machinery, improve the Government's efficiency and strengthen the relations between the BJP and its allies.

If the panchayat poll results are not encouraging, the party central leadership would prefer not blame one person or another, but the entire leadership which must own responsibility.

It seems that through the party general secretary in- charge of the State, Mr. K.N.Govindacharya, the BJP has made an assessment of the situation. A view that has emerged is either Mr. Ram Prakash Gupta should be given a free hand to start a major campaign against corruption (which has been identified as an issue that could be a hit with the masses), or the chief minister must go at the earliest to give enough time for the next man to make an impact before the Assembly elections next year.

It seems that the BJP leadership was in some ways taken for a ride when it accepted Mr. Gupta as Chief Minister, for the outgoing Chief Minister, Mr. Kalyan Singh, who insisted that he would put in his papers in favour of Mr. Gupta, not for anyone else. At that time, the party did not think that Mr. Kalyan Singh would begin a high pitched campaign against the Prime Minister, forcing it to expel him.

Some party leaders familiar with the U.P. scene feel that the Union Minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh, would be the party's best bet as a replacement for Mr. Gupta, but all others are desperate to block his entry.

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Section  : National
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