Tuesday, October 18 2005 15:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhopal: Undeterred by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership ruling out a change of guard in Madhya Pradesh, Uma Bharti loyalists continued to throng her residence here in large numbers today (Oct 18, 2005), voicing their demand for her reinstatement as the Chief Minister.

Amidst slogans, asking fiery sanyasin to strive harder for a comeback, most of the 60 MLAs, and a large number of party workers visiting her, were of the view that Babulal Gaur should have resigned as the Chief Minister soon after the Hubli Court had acquitted her in a rioting case, sources said.

While former Minister of State for Home, Jagdish Muvel, claimed that BJP leaders like him will have to 'take sanyas' (renunciation), if Gaur continued in the post, others pledged support for Bharti.

Among the present Ministers, Dhal Singh Bisen visited the saffron leader along with some MLAs in the early half of the day, sources said.

Bharti, however, sought to keep mum over the controversy and told reporters in Ujjain last night that it was an 'internal family matter' and she would not comment on it.

Sulking over the party rejecting the demand of her loyalists, Bharti, who postponed her return to Bihar for campaigning by a day, planned to deliver a religious discourse in the city.

Meanwhile, in the wake of BJP formally denying receipt of any communication seeking a leadership change in the state yesterday (Oct 17, 2005), State Minister Gaurishankar Shejwar, armed with a letter signed by over 100 MLAs seeking a legislature party meeting, is believed to have left for Delhi to meet senior party leaders, including Party President L K Advani, sources said.