M A I N   N E W S

Uma Bharati expelled from BJP
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 5
On the eve of 13th anniversary of the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya, one of the most vocal and prominent Hindutva leaders of the BJP, Ms Uma Bharati, was today expelled from the primary membership of the party for indiscipline and anti-party activities.

A decision to expel the mercurial Sanyasin, who took head-on the Central leadership of the party over the appointment of Mr Shivraj Chauhan as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh succeeding Mr Babulal Gaur, was taken at a meeting of the BJP's highest decision making organ Central Parliamentary Board here.

The meeting was chaired by party president L K Advani and was attended among others by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Announcing her expulsion, party spokesman Arun Jaitley told newspersons that the Central Parliamentary Board, which met to consider the reply of Ms Bharti to the show-cause notice issued to her, decided to expel her because the matter was one of "indiscipline".

To take the issue away from this, Ms Bharati took up many other issues which are neither germane (to the notice) nor true, the former Union Law Minister, who is also party incharge of Madhya Pradesh, said.

"It (the language used by her) is not the issue of dignified politics, he said.

Mr Jaitley said nine of the 13 MLAs, who had supported Ms Bharati and were asked to explain their conduct, have "apologised".

He said the state party unit has sent its recommendation relating to the 13 MLAs and the central leadership would take a decision on that. He did not elaborate on the recommendation.

Asked if Ms Bharati episode would damage the party, Mr Jaitley said it was all a matter of speculation. The BJP wanted to enforce discipline and wanted to ensure smooth governance in Madhya Pradesh in the remaining three years.

Ms Bharti, who was suspended on November 30, 2005 after she attacked the leadership for making Mr Chauhan the Chief Minister, was given a show cause notice asking her to explain her action within 72 hours which ended last night.

At a public meeting in Raisen, near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh yesterday, she read out her reply to the party in which she accused the party leadership of being incapable of fulfilling its responsibilities.

Uma loyalist among ministers
N.D.Sharma

Bhopal, December 5
Mr Anup Mishra is lucky to have his cake and eat it. As a Cabinet Minister in the Babulal Gaur government, he was in the forefront, along with another Cabinet Minister Gauri Shankar Shejwar, in carrying out the “remove Gaur and bring Uma Bharati back” campaign.

While Mr Shejwar and other Uma-supporters have been dropped from Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s council of ministers sworn in last night, Mr Mishra was again included as a Cabinet Minister. He happens to be the nephew (sister’s son) of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.

In all, 11 members of Mr Gaur’s council of ministers have not found place in Mr Chauhan’s cabinet —and most of them are Uma loyalists. The only exceptions are Mr Kailash Chawla and Mr Uma Shankar Gupta. Mr Chawla, who was the Minister of Industries, Commerce and Commercial Taxes, is considered close to former Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa, who is calling the shots in the new dispensation.