''Kalyan not Yogi Adityanath first choice of Hindutva-forces''

Varanasi, Mar 29 (UNI) Failing to pacify rebel Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath, the BJP today launched an offensive against the firebrand parliamentarian saying ''Kalyan Singh and not the Yogi was the first choice of Hindutva forces in Uttar Pradesh''.

''All Hindutva forces have reposed faith in the leadership of the Kalyan Singh-led BJP and not the Gorakhpur MP who has decided to field his own candidates in 14 east UP districts,'' Kusum Rai, a close confidants of Kalyan Singh said here today.

Addressing a news conference, the former state PWD a minister said ''the party went all out to pacify Yogi and had accepted majority of his demands. But his stubborn attitude is to be blamed for failure of the negotiations.'' ''Yogi Adityanath's mouing away from the party will not hurt the BJP's prospects anywhere as all Hindutva forces have reposed faith in Kalyan Singh's leadership and are not behind the firebrand MP from Gorakhpur,'' she added.

After failing to end the deadlock with the BJP, Yogi Adityanath had recently decided to field candidates in 14 East UP districts under the banner of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha.

Terming Mr Singh as the best of the three chief ministerial candidates -- Kalyan Singh, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati -- Ms Rai said the ''memories of the rule of law holding supreme during the two chief ministerial tenures of Mr Singh are still fresh in public memory and the electorate will again return him to power.'' She also said there was no question of drawing parallels between Mr Singh and the two ealier UP chief ministers from BJP -- present national party president Rajnath Singh and Ram Prakash Gupta.

''Rajnath Singhji has went on record to back Kalyan Singhji as the best CM of UP,'' she added.

Ms Rai also denied any differences between the state and central party leadership especially on the issue of alliance with Apna Dal and JD(U). ''The decision to strike an alliance with Apna Dal and JD(U) has been taken by the central leadership after taking the state leaders including Kalyan Singh into confidence,'' she maintained.

UNI