BJP, Apna Dal locked in 'friendly fight'

Varanasi, Apr 12 (UNI) Cracks within the BJP over the alliance with Apna Dal (AD) came to the fore today with former Uttar Pradesh minister and party's sitting MLA Ajay Rai announcing going all out to defeat AD president Sone Lal Patel from the Kolasala seat of the district.

''It is not a friendly fight for me, but I will go all out to defeat Dr Patel in Kolasala,'' Mr Rai told newspersons after filing his nomination papers for re-election from Kolasala seat.

Mr Rai in 2002 assembly election had defeated Avdhesh Singh of BSP from Kolasala by a margin of more than 15,000 votes.

Interestingly, the AD national president had stood third in that contest marred by widespread violence between BJP and AD supporters resulting in the killing of a youth close to Mr Rai.

''We do not believe in friendly fight, but will go all out to defeat Mr Patel,'' Mr Rai maintained.

This time Mr Rai is aiming for a hat-trick of wins from Kolasala seat, while AD and BJP have failed to prevent a tussle between the two parties in the segment.

Earlier in the day, former union minister and BJP national general secretary Ananth Kumar had said ''it is a friendly contest between the BJP and AD in Kolasala and its outcome will not mar the BJP-AD alliance.'' UNI ARS VS YA HT1822