Lucknow: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kalraj Mishra on November 6 admitted that "lack of cohesion" among the top brass in the Uttar Pradesh unit had led to the current standoff with the dissidents and the party could no longer claim it was a party with a difference.

"The whole incident has proved that there is need to increase confidence and cohesion among senior leaders of the state and for this the national leaders will have to make efforts once again," he said.

Had there been good communication among senior leaders of the party then this crisis could have been averted, Mishra, who quit as BJP state unit chief about six months back for lack of cohesion among top leaders, said.

"After I resigned as state president, the national leadership made attempts to bridge the gap and there was success initially. But before that effort could bear fruits in real term this crisis plagued the party," Mishra said.

It is almost three weeks the state unit is in turmoil after Chief Minister Mayawati expanded her ministry on October 11. The legislators who were denied ministerial berths have formed a "Save BJP Committee" to put pressure on the leadership, he said.

Mishra said, "It is unfortunate that some senior leaders of the party who had won Assembly elections many a times behaved in such a manner. Their conduct has brought a bad name to the party and now we have lost the face to say that BJP is a party with difference."

PTI