Bhopal, November 28
Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan was “unanimously” elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party here tonight after former Chief Minister Uma Bharati walked out along with 16 MLAs in protest against the procedure adopted by the party to elect the leader. The meeting was held at the BJP office.

BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley, who is in charge of Madhya Pradesh affairs, told reporters after the meeting that the party’s Parliamentary Board had proposed under Section 25 of the party constitution that Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan would be the leader of the Legislature Party in Madhya Pradesh.

Mr Jaitley, vice-president Rajnath Singh and another general secretary Pramod Mahajan were deputed by the party high command as observers.

Outgoing Chief Minister Babulal Gaur put before the members the Parliamentary Board’s proposal for their approval or disapproval as stipulated in the party constitution. It was seconded by Mr Raghavji and Mr Himmat Kothai, members of the Gaur cabinet.

Some “friends”, Mr Jaitley said, did not agree and they, a total of 17, walked out. Their action could be termed as defiance of the party directive, he added.

Mr Jaitley said 171 out of a total of 172 members were present at the Legislature Party meeting, one member having taken permission to be absent. They had all signed on the register.

After the walkout by the 17 members, the remaining 154 “unanimously” supported the motion and signed their approval, Mr Jaitley said.

Ms Uma Bharati, it was learnt, had expressed her opposition to the procedure adopted by the party for the election of the leader. As it was pointed out to her that she and other MLAs could only support or oppose the Parliamentary Board’s proposal, as per the party’s directive, she announced that she was walking out.

She then asked those who agreed with her to come out with her. A total of 16 MLAs, including three members of the present Cabinet, followed.

Outside the BJP office, she told waiting mediapersons that she would undertake a Bhopal to Ayodhya padyatra.

The police had to use lathi-charge to disperse her supporters who indulged in vandalism outside the BJP office.

The firebrand leader, who arrived here from New Delhi, said: “It is for the first time in India’s history (that this has happened). A new chapter in the Indian politics was created when the Parliamentary Board announced the leader even though the MLAs demanded a chance to elect their leader,” a “hurt” Ms Bharati, who was a contender for chief ministership and had launched a campaign for the removal of Babu Lal Gaur from the post, told reporters here.

She claimed that she had never wanted to be reinstated as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh but she was “hurt” with the decision to replace Babulal Gaur with Chouhan.