Uma to launch new party on March 21

     Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Expelled Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti said today that she will launch her new party on March 21 in Delhi. The decision came forward in the wake of the announcement of the dates for the forthcoming assembly polls in five states, Uma told media at 'Meet the Press' programme here. "With an announcement of the dates for the forthcoming assembly polls in five states, the launch date and venue has been pre- poned from April 30 in Chitrakoot to March 21 in Delhi," she said. Uma further said, that the party symbol, flag and name will be announced later in Delhi. She said BJP workers in large number wanted to associate with her and in the absence of proper forum they had shown inclination to join Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), adding, "the foundation of the party was being advanced." Holy lady said the new party's block-level units would be shaped soon while before the Lok Sabha election it would spread into villages.

     Expressing confidence of a majority win, despite the absence of known leaders in the proposed party, Bharati said that her focus is on the Lok Sabha poll, as and when it takes place. She said she would dedicate full strength in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal whenever elections were held, while Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were also on her priority. When asked about the BJP government's stability in Madhya Pradesh, the former Chief Minister said the government should complete its full term. However, she added, the main issue was the State's development and not of Chief Ministership. When asked about ever since she relinquished the post of Chief Minister, she said, the BJP and Congress had reached at a tacit understanding to keep under wraps the shortcomings of each other. Comparing the ideological crisis in BJP to 'Vaasthu Dosh', Bharati said the party had grown big, but the structure was limited. On February 2, Uma had announced the launch of her new party called the 'Bharatiya Janata Party' (Rashtriya).

     Bharati's decision to launch her own party came after nearly two months of locking horns with senior BJP leaders, including former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajapyee and former BJP President L.K.Advani, whom she accused of compromising the BJP's ideology for the sake of power. Her constant diatribes against the BJP leadership over the past six months led to disciplinary action being taken against her in December last year. Her expulsion from the party prompted her into launching two successive yatras or movements to win public support to her cause and ideals. In 2003, she led BJP to big win in MP state assembly elections and was elected from Bara Malehra and became state's first woman Chief Minister. Her political fortunes took a downturn in 2004, when she received a summons from a Karnataka Sessions Court over her decision to unfurl the tricolour at the disputed Idgah Maidan in Hubli. This led to her resignation as chief minister.

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