Kalyan's projection as CM candidate a compulsion

Lucknow, Apr 26: Hitting out at former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for projecting Kalyan Singh as BJP's chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh, Congress today termed the move a ''political compulsion.'' ''While BJP is today projecting Mr Singh as its chief ministerial candidate, it is worth recalling that he is the same person who was suspended from the party for opening a front against Mr Vajpayee,'' Union minister and convenor of AICC's media management Kapil Sibal said today.

The former PM, who is also a MP from Lucknow, had last night expressed confidence in Mr Singh during an election meeting here.

Talking to reporters, Mr Sibal said Kalyan Singh had even joined hands with Samajwadi Party supremo and chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. ''He had thrown all cautions to the winds and went public with his outburst against Mr Vajpayee,'' he said.

He also recalled ther statement of Mr Singh that ''Vajpayee ne kursi ke liye Ram ko kudedan mein dal diya...maine Ram ke liye kursi ko kudedan meing dal diya.'' (While Vajpayee discarded the Ram temple issue to remain in power, I discarded the CM's chair for the temple issue).

He wondered the BJP's compulsions which was forcing it to project Mr Singh as the next chief minister of the state. ''It could be termed BJP's compulsion to gain the Lodhi-Rajput votes in the ongoing assembly elections,'' he added.

UNI