BJP MLAs meet Rajnath Singh, demand leadership change in Uttarakha

New Delhi, Aug 10 (UNI) As many as 26 BJP legislators from Uttarakhand today met BJP president Rajnath Singh here and demanded the removal of state Chief Minister Maj Gen (Retd) B C Khanduri, party sources said.

The legislators, led by former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, met Mr Singh at his residence and expressed displeasure at Maj Gen Khanduri's style of functioning.

Mr Rajnath Singh while refusing to act against the Chief Minister immediately assured the rebel legislators to look into their demands after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the sources said.

The legislators were determined in their quest for a change of guard in the state and would meet senior BJP leader L K Advani in this regard, they said.

Even ordinary party workers were dissatisfied by Maj Gen Khanduri's style of functioning, the legislators alleged.

Maj Gen Khanduri was favoured by the party High Command as Chief Minister overlooking the claims of support of a majority of MLAs by Mr Koshiyari, they claimed.

The BJP had to face similar demands of leadership change in the recent past in Bihar with a section of state party leadership demanding the removal of Deputy Chief Minister S K Modi, which was ultimately addressed by holding a secrot ballot that saw Mr Modi emerge victorious.

UNI XC AM KN2000