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Kalyan Singh rules out leadership change

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh has denied the possibility of any change in the state leadership and said he enjoyed total confidence of the central leadership and party legislators.

He said that whatever was being published in the media regarding factionalism in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was not true as all legislators had full faith in his leadership.

Citing an example of the 'false' reports, he told the media, ''I had called upon Governor Suraj Bhan yesterday as a matter of courtesy, but some newspapers reported that I had met the governor to recommend a mid-term poll in the state.'' He asserted, ''There is not going to be any mid-term poll and my government will complete its full term.''

Replying to a question regarding the reported distancing of the government and the party organisation, the chief minister asserted that there was total co-ordination between the two which was evident from the success achieved by the party in the assembly byelections and the legislative council and Rajya Sabha elections held recently.

He claimed that his government was functioning according to the concept of collective leadership and all the decisions were taken in the cabinet unanimously after every minister had voiced his views on the issue concerned.

He also refuted the allegation that he was favouring other backward classes and said people who were saying that were doing injustice to him. ''I have been a worker of the BJP in which class, religion or caste never had any meaning.''.

Regarding the law and order situation in the state, the chief minister said concerted efforts were being made for improving the situation and strict action was being taken against criminals.

He said some parties were dubbing the police encounters with criminals as ''fake'' and alleging that their workers were being killed. ''Does it not mean these parties have conceded that their ranks are full of criminals?'' he asked.

He also ridiculed the Congress for going to President K R Narayanan to demand his government's dismissal. ''What could be more ridiculous than that such a demand being made by a party which had been totally rejected by the people?'' he added.

UNI

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