BJP to send observers to Uttarakhand, Punjab

New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) The BJP Parliamentary Board tonight decided to send two observers each to Punjab and Uttarakhand tomorrow to oversee election of the BJP Legislature Party leaders.

While Gopinath Munde and Om Prakash Mathur (both General Secretaries) will go to Uttarakhand, M Venkaiah Naidu and Tawar Chand Gehlot would go to Punjab.

The BJP Legislature Party meeting would be held in the presence of Ravi Shankar Prasad, incharge of Uttrakhand, in Dehra Dun, and Arun Jaitley, who oversaw elections in Punjab will be in Chandigarh.

Addressing newspersons, Mr Jaitley said a joint Legislature Party meeting would be held with the Shiromani Akali Dal to choose their leader. Later, the BJP Legislature Party would meet on the leadership issue.

On the BJP seeking Deputy Chief Minister's post, he said this would be known only after consultation with local leadership and legislators.

Asked about the probability of sending an MP, former Union Minister B C Khandoori, to Uttarakhand to become Chief Minister, Mr Jaitley said this issue would be decided by the local leaders of the BJP.

''You may have to wait for a few days more for an answer,'' he said.

However, a senior leader had earlier indicated that Maj Gen Khandoori was party's choice for the post.

To a question that the BJP was still short of an absolute majority by one seat in Uttarakhand, Mr Jaitley said a byelection was to be held in the state, while one election result was still awaited.

Moreover, local BJP leaders were in touch with the Independent MLAs, he added.

UNI