BJP rebels call truce in UP

Hot on the heals of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) victory in the Gujarat elections, party dissidents in Uttar Pradesh have called a truce and started to return to the fold after holding the state's coalition government to ransom for the whole of last month.

The BJP central leadership has already given a green signal to the state unit to drop disqualification proceedings that it had started following the decision of the dissidents to go against the party line during the Rajya Sabha polls.

So far two out of 10 dissident legislators have returned to the party fold while others are also believed to be in the process to do so soon.

An indication that a compromise had been worked out between the party and the rebels was available when rebels were asked to lie low and distance themselves form the opposition so that it has no adverse impact on the Gujarat polls.

Since the dissidents did what they were asked, the BJP too did not push for their early disqualification from the legislative assembly.

The dissidents had also realised the futility of their exercise since they failed to either muster enough numbers to split the party or dislodge the state's coalition from power.

It had also become evident that the dissidents had weakened their case by signing the nomination of an opposition-sponsored candidate for last month's Rajya Sabha elections, inviting their disqualification under provisions of the anti-defection law.

Besides losing membership to the assembly, disqualification under the anti-defection law would have meant that they would have been automatically debarred from contesting the resultant by-elections.

According to BJP sources, the dissidents with an assurance that they would be readmitted into the fold, have already dropped their demand for an "honourable homecoming" that was turned down by the central leadership as they wanted an unqualified apology for breaking party discipline.

If BJP sources are to be believed, an extremely favourable outcome in Gujarat forced the dissidents to realise that with the party on the rise again, they may be going against the tide by drifting away from it.

Moreover, talks that Uttar Pradesh state unit chief, Vinay Katiyar, wanting the high command's permission to disassociate itself from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)-led coalition so as to force a snap poll in the state also frightened the dissidents.

"The UP crisis has almost ended as we have decided to give the dissidents a last chance to reform and return, which they have started to do now," a senior party functionary said.

As for Katiyar's demand for a snap poll in the state, party sources said the matter might be taken up for discussion during the upcoming two-day national executive committee meeting starting here Sunday.

Since the BJP's pro-Hindu stand is believed to have paid rich dividends in Gujarat, there are already talks that the party may have a good chance of coming to power on its own under hardcore pro-Hindu leader Katiyar, one of the main accused in the demolition of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya.

Party sources, however, indicated that forcing a snap poll in UP may not be a wise step. With an eye on the 2004 general elections, the BJP wants to use its proximity with a pro-Dalit (lower caste Hindu) BSP to consolidate its position at the centre, particularly since the party has so far failed to impress Dalit voters of the country.