Lucknow: The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) dissidents in Uttar Pradesh on November 6 appeared to have shelved their plans for forming a separate outfit following a meeting between rebel leader Ramasish Rai and Union Minister Uma Bharti who was despatched by the party leadership to dissuade them from precipitating the crisis.

Bharti, who was in Aydhoya overnight, met Rai for nearly 45 minutes on her way back to New Delhi after which he told reporters that the rebels' position had been explained to her to be conveyed to BJP central leadership.

The rebels, who had threatened to form an outfit and put up a candidate for coming Rajya Sabha elections, met at an undisclosed venue in Lucknow and are understood to have deferred plans following the central leadership's efforts to talk to them.

Rai said Bharti was "sympathetic" to the dissidents' demands and assured them that their feelings would be conveyed to the party high command.

The rebel leader placed three demands; removal of Lalji Tandon as leader of BJP legislature party, withdrawal of the party from Mayawati ministry and end to "atrocities" by the state administration on dissident MLAs and withdrawal of cases against them.

Toning down their belligerence, Rai said the rebels would vote in Rajya Sabha poll as per the call of their conscience as BJP announced senior central leaders Rajnath Singh and Mukhtaq Abbas Naqvi as candidates for the elections.

PTI