Heads start rolling in BJP's UP unit

Bharatiya Janata Party's dismal show in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls claimed its second scalp on Wednesday when senior party leader Lalji Tandon made way for veteran backward leader Om Prakash Singh as the leader of the party's legislature group.

Singh was elected unanimously as the leader at a meeting of the newly-elected BJP legislators held at the party office in Lucknow, which was attended also by the party's members in the legislative council.

Senior BJP leader M Venkaiya Naidu, general secretary Gopinath Munde and secretary Ram Lal and other senior state leaders were present at the meeting. Singh's name was proposed by Tandon and seconded by BJP legislative council member Nepal Singh.

Senior BJP leader and party's chief ministerial candidate in the polls Kalyan Singh had on Tuesday resigned as in-charge of party affairs in the state.

The BJP could secure just 51 seats as against 98 in the previous elections in 2002.

Om Prakash Singh, who was elected legislator from Chunar in Mirzapur district, had also been the state BJP president.