Jaswant's meeting with Mulayam irks party cadres

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh's meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has caused resentment in the state unit of the party.

The meeting was held at Mulayam's residence in Lucknow on Sunday.

Jaswant, who arrived in Lucknow on Sunday to address the concluding session of the BJP's state executive, drove straight from the airport to the chief minister's residence where he had a 45-minute meeting with Mulayam.

According to the government spokesman, the BJP leader discussed several state issues with the chief minister and appreciated the efforts taken by the Mulayam government to speed up development in the state.

While the BJP chose to downplay Jaswant's meeting with the chief minister, the state information department went ahead and issued a press release to this effect on Sunday night.

At the BJP meeting and the press conference held later in the day, Jaswant did a complete volte-face and launched an offensive against the Mulayam government.

Party workers, yesterday, were upset at what they termed was a betrayal by senior leaders. A party functionary said Jaswant's visit to a chief minister against whom the party is planning an agitation was totally uncalled for.

- The Asian Age