Ranchi: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president Venkaiah Naidu today (Sep 14, 2004) played down reports that former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti would take over the party's mantle from him.

''It could be a suggestion of some newspapers. One newspaper even changed party president (of the BJP) 21 times. May be, they don't have any news,'' Naidu said when his attention was drawn on the matter.

Taking a dig at the media, he said some people even smelt rat in the decision to organise Satyagraha headed by Sushma Swaraj on September 21 at Cellular Jail.

Asked why reputed leaders were not accompanying Bharti in her 'Tiranga Yatra', Naidu said she herself was a ''big, popular and dynamic'' leader of the party and that the party's Maharashtra unit chief Gopinath Munde was with her yesterday (Sep 13, 2004).

''Uma Bharti is admired by all following her decision to quit from the Chief Minister's post and take up challenges,'' the BJP president said.

While Bharti was undertaking the Tiranga Yatra ''for a greater cause'' after quitting, JMM (Jharkand Mukti Morcha) leader Sibu Soren was trying to return to the union cabinet, Naidu said.

Apparently referring to Congress criticism of Bharti's Yatra, Naidu said ''India has a rich tradition of yatras to get in touch with people. What is wrong in it? They (Congressmen) only make yatras to 10, Janpath AICC (All India Congress Committee) president Sonia Gandhi's residence.