Gorakhpur MP extracts his pound of flesh with the help of VHP

New Delhi, Mar 30 (UNI) The buying of peace from its defiant Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath by the BJP this evening has come at a 'huge political cost' and at the insistance of Viswa Hindu Parishad leadership, BJP sources said.

The state BJP which was not ready to accomodate more than a dozen of Yogi's men had to accomodate 24 to 25 of Yogi's candidates for the patch up to happen. Yogi on his part had announced that he would field around 70 candidates in his areas of influence.

VHP leader Ashok Singhal intervened with BJP leadership with a condition that his organisation wanted things to be settled between the BJP and Gorakhpur MP who is also head of the Gorakshanath Peeth and the temple. "The VHP's threat worked", was the comment of BJP insiders.

Yogi who had met BJP President Rajnath Singh and Leader of Opposition L K Advani would have been happy with 22 seats but with the VHP firmly siding with him in recognition of his services for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, the BJP had to pay a higher price, sources said.

Earlier in the day, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu who is overall incharge of the elections in U P and BJP General Secretary Gopinath Munde and Yogi addressing a joint press conference at Gorakhpur announced that all the grievances had been addressed.

Yogi Adityanath said that although he was 'taken for granted' by the BJP leadership all his grievances had vanished and such differences were part and parcel of 'domestic tiffs'. ''Now, eastern UP will give best results to BJP in the poll'',he remarked.

Following the pact, all the 16 Yogi men in the state would withdraw their candidatures and support official BJP nominees.

Mr Naidu noted the firebrand MP's area of ''influence extended beyond eastern UP to the entire country, which was a valuable asset for the party.'' UNI MCN VS RP DB2031