Lucknow/New Delhi: Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BJP vice-president Kalyan Singh on Tuesday quit the party alleging that he was humiliated and ignored during ticket distribution for the Lok Sabha elections.
"I have quit the BJP for life. I was feeling suffocated. It was my political blunder to have rejoined the party," Singh said. The 76-year-old leader was the Hindutva face of the BJP during the Ayodhya movement and the UP CM at the time of demolition of Babri Masjid in December 1992. Spitting venom at the BJP, Singh said the saffron party would not get more than fiveout of the 80 Lok Sabha in UP.
Singh's resignation has not come as a shock to the BJP as he was not attending party meetings and public functions for a year now. The BJP, which was waiting for him to take the final step, rejected his charge of being humiliated."It is his decision to quit and he is joining those who are ideologically opposed to the BJP," party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, referring to speculations that Singh may join the Samajwadi Party (SP).
A BJP leader contended that his exit may not cost the party dear in the coming LS poll as many of his followers in the Lodha caste had deserted him.
On rumours that he may join the SP, Singh said:"I am not joining any party nor am I floating any new outfit." He described his relationship with the SP as "very friendly". Sources said Singh would work for the SP without joining the party.
"Tickets for the 80 Lok Sabha seats of UP are being finalised but I have not been consulted even once. I had told the party that I have nothing to do with the 79 seats. I only wanted that Ashok Pradhan should not be given the ticket from Bulandshahr. But he was declared a BJP candidate from that very seat," Singh said, adding that Pradhan was responsible for the defeat of his son in the 2007 Assembly election.
Kalyan also took potshots at BJP president Rajnath Singh. Without naming him, he said: "It is unfortunate that the BJP leadership is in the hands of a leader who has no popular support at the grassroots level."
"I have quit the BJP for life. I was feeling suffocated. It was my political blunder to have rejoined the party," Singh said. The 76-year-old leader was the Hindutva face of the BJP during the Ayodhya movement and the UP CM at the time of demolition of Babri Masjid in December 1992. Spitting venom at the BJP, Singh said the saffron party would not get more than fiveout of the 80 Lok Sabha in UP.
Singh's resignation has not come as a shock to the BJP as he was not attending party meetings and public functions for a year now. The BJP, which was waiting for him to take the final step, rejected his charge of being humiliated."It is his decision to quit and he is joining those who are ideologically opposed to the BJP," party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, referring to speculations that Singh may join the Samajwadi Party (SP).
A BJP leader contended that his exit may not cost the party dear in the coming LS poll as many of his followers in the Lodha caste had deserted him.
On rumours that he may join the SP, Singh said:"I am not joining any party nor am I floating any new outfit." He described his relationship with the SP as "very friendly". Sources said Singh would work for the SP without joining the party.
"Tickets for the 80 Lok Sabha seats of UP are being finalised but I have not been consulted even once. I had told the party that I have nothing to do with the 79 seats. I only wanted that Ashok Pradhan should not be given the ticket from Bulandshahr. But he was declared a BJP candidate from that very seat," Singh said, adding that Pradhan was responsible for the defeat of his son in the 2007 Assembly election.
Kalyan also took potshots at BJP president Rajnath Singh. Without naming him, he said: "It is unfortunate that the BJP leadership is in the hands of a leader who has no popular support at the grassroots level."
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