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Kalyan supporters quit BJP

Two days after former BJP leader Kalyan Singh quit the party to join hands with the SP, several state-level leaders of the saffron party in Aligarh followed suit in an apparent support to the former chief minister.

Updated on: Jan 22, 2009, 13:57:22 IST
PTI | By , Aligarh
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Two days after former BJP leader Kalyan Singh quit the party to join hands with the Samajwadi Party, several state-level leaders of the saffron party in Aligarh followed suit in an apparent support to the former chief minister.

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HT Image

District BJP president Ravinder Pal Singh of Kalyan Singh's home constituency put in his papers late on Wednesday followed by the resignation of district general secretary Ravi Kant Arya.

A dozen other party office bearers of the district mainly from Atrauli and Harduaganj areas also quit, sources said. In Atrauli, the hometown of Kalyan Singh, an effigy of BJP national president Rajnath Singh was burnt, they said.

The local BJP leaders have, however, denied resignation of Aligarh Mayor Ashutosh Varshney, who is considered close to Kalyan Singh.

Varshney, when contacted, refused to comment on the matter.

Political observers said Kalyan Singh's newfound friendship with the SP could disturb political equations in a number of western Uttar Pradesh districts especially in Etah, Aligarh and Bulandshahr.

They said the reported deal between Kalyan Singh and SP over the Aligarh parliamentary seat could upset prospects of Congress' sitting MP Chaudhary Bijendra Singh during the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

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