Lucknow: In an apparent snub to the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership, dissident legislators on ruled out return to the party fold unless their demands were conceded.

"There is no question of returning to the party fold until it concedes our demands,"" spokesman of the save BJP committee Ramashish Rai said.

BJP legislature group leader Lalji Tandon had, seemingly softening the stand, on November 15 said that the party would not petition Vidhan Sabha Speaker for disenfranchisement of 10 MLAs, whose disqualification had been sought by the party.

Tandon had said the BJP would not seek disenfranchisement of the 10 MLAs as "it would convey a wrong message" and added that the party hoped that the dissidents, who had been "misguided" would see reason and return to the party fold.

Rai said state leadership was adopting "double standards" in the ongoing stand-off as on one hand it was "appealing us to return to the party fold and on the other continuing persecution of the legislators".

He said "the fight to restore Democratic principles in the party would continue till they were achieved".

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)-BJP combine government is "resorting to intimidatory tactics to suppress voice of dissent and the BJP leadership remains a mute spectator", he added.

PTI