Wednesday, October 19 2005 15:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhopal: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command unrelenting to immediate change of guard in Madhya Pradesh, Uma Bharti loyalists today (Oct 18, 2005) expressed confidence in party leadership, but stepped up their tirade against Chief Minister Babulal Gaur, while holding discussions with her to chalk out their further moves.

"We have to make Umaji the Chief Minister. We are confident that party high command will consider it," MLA and former state Minister Sunil Nayak told reporters outside Bharti's residence.

Since morning, around 45-odd MLAs visited Bharti, who deferred her plans to return to electioneering in Bihar to work out their next move in wake of the party rejecting their demand for convening a legislature party meeting and postponing taking up the demand for leadership change till Bihar polls were over.

While most of the known Bharti loyalists were holding closed-door discussions with her, state PWD Minister Kailash Vijayvergiya became their target of attack for reportedly claiming to a local media channel yesterday that by merely signing letters, no one can become the Chief Minister.

"He, hand in glove with Babulal Gaur, is involved in corruption and thus is speaking the Chief Minister's language," Nayak alleged.

Clarifying MLAs' stand, he said, "We have asked for ouster of Gaur and for convening a legislature party meeting in the letter sent to the party high command. There is no mention of making Bharti the Chief Minister."

Meanwhile, sources close to Bharti said she had summoned all disgruntled MLAs at her residence to finalise future strategy.