Ravindra Shukla rules out Uma's U-turn to BJP

Dehra Dun, Feb 27: Terming it a false propaganda and ruling out any possibility of the expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) firebrand leader Uma Bharti going back to the BJP, former Uttar Pradesh minister Ravindra Shukla today (Feb 27, 2006) said she would instead make a claim on the party symbol of lotus after establishing her own political party.

"We are close on our way to establish a new political party under her leadership with true followers of the BJP principles", Mr Shukla said, denying that Uma Bharti had ever abandoned BJP.

The announcement of the new party would be made on April 30 at Chitrakoot from where her Janadesh Yatra would be flagged off, he added.

He told mediapersons here that not only the leaders from BJP were keen to join hands with Ms Bharti but people from other parties were also interested in joining her.

Mr Shukla, who recently resigned from BJP to follow Ms Bharti, is presently deputed as in-charge of Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh and national convenor of Uma Bharti Janadesh Yatra Samiti.

Lambasting BJP, he said it had become the refuge of people with double standards and failed to prove itself a 'different kind of party' as it had been claiming. "It (BJP) has no threat from any outer enemy but has become more vulnerable to insiders". Mr Shukla termed the Congress government in Uttaranchal as 'government on non-governmental organisations'.

UNI