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BJP won't give up LS seats won in 1998 from UP

The Bharatiya Janata Party would not concede to its allies the Lok Sabha seats the party won in the last elections in Uttar Pradesh.

This was indicated by Chief Minister Kalyan Singh today. Singh said the views of allies would be given due consideration, but the BJP-won seats would not be conceded when seat adjustments are made for the coming Lok Sabha polls. A final decision regarding seat sharing would be taken by next month, he said.

The chief minister was asked how the BJP proposed to tackle the seat-sharing issue since its allies, the Loktantrik Congress and the Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party were demanding 15 seats each while the Samata Party was asking for ten of the total 85 Lok Sabha seats from the state.

Kalyan Singh asserted there was no problem in the alliance over seat-sharing and the party would reach an amicable solution as was done in the last election. The alliance partners in the state would be a satisfied lot after the final decision in this regard, he said.

The chief minister said the criterion would be ''hundred per cent victory chances'' on a particular seat.

Reports in a section of the press had suggested that the Loktantrik Congress had identified Banda, Unnao, Hapur and Mathura Lok Sabha seats for itself. These seats were won by BJP candidates in the last Lok Sabha elections.

Last time, the BJP had won 57 seats, added by two of the Samata Party and one by Maneka Gandhi. She had won as an independent candidate from Pilibhit. The Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party was given four seats in the last election with its candidate D P Yadav contesting on the BJP symbol from Sambhal seat which he lost to Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Kalyan Singh offered no comment on the reports that the party's central leadership had proposed to change at least one-third candidates who had won the last time. The reports had said that about 20 candidates in 60 seats were likely to lose this time.

''It is too early to jump to any conclusion. The high command would study all the pros and cons before deciding on this crucial issue,'' he said.

Singh claimed that the welfare schemes of his government had gone down well with the people.

Describing the decision for decentralisation of powers to panchayat level as ''a landmark'' in the history of Uttar Pradesh, he said this had been received very well in rural areas.

The devolution of powers and the various welfare schemes for women, Dalits and backward classes would certainly tilt the balance in favour of the BJP, he claimed.

When asked about the number of seats the BJP hoped to win, he quipped, ''More than it won last time.''

UNI

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