'I will expose Narasimha Rao:' Kalpnath Rai

Former federal minister Kalpnath Rai, now an undertrial in the capital's Tihar jail, has decided to quit the Congress party.

The decision will be conveyed in a lengthy, 'eye-opening' epistle addressed to party chief and Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.

Intimating this to his family members, Rai has indicated that he will contest the general election from his constituency Ghosi, near Ballia in Uttar Pradesh.

Interestingly, former prime minister Chandra Shekhar, who represents Ballia in the Lok Sabha, is the only leader of any stature to have visited Rai in jail thus far. Shekhar is understood to have promised Rai his full support, as also the backing of Samata Party president George Fernandes who is expected to meet Rai in Tihar jail on Monday.

Rai told this reporter, during a brief meeting in the courtroom, that his letter will rake up issues such as the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in December 1992 - and will point out how the prime minister ignored repeated warnings from leaders like Arjun Singh and others. The letter will also criticise Rao for "stabbing true friends like V C Shukla, Madhavrao Scindia and me in the back."

From his cell in jail, Rai has been maintaining contact with UP-based leaders of the order of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mulayam Singh's political manager confirmed that while the SP would contest all the seats in the state on its own steam, it would leave the Ghosi seat vacant for Rai.

Rai has a fine record from the constituency - in 1977, when even Indira Gandhi bit the electoral dust, Rai was returned with his majority intact and, in fact, became the only successful Congress candidate from Uttar Pradesh. It is a record, Rai said, that he is keen on maintaining, "come what may."

As part of his campaign, Rai told this reporter, he intends to write two long letters to his electorate. "The impact will be mind-blowing," the disgraced politico promised. "I will expose Narasimha Rao as no one else has ever managed to"