Friday, October 21 2005 17:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top brass assuring her that it will do look into the leadership issue in Madhya Pradesh after the Bihar Assembly polls, Uma Bharati today (Oct 21, 2005) said she would not raise it till November 18 but asserted she would continue to fight for 'honesty and righteousness' both within and outside the party.

"I will not raise the issue till November 18 (the last phase of Bihar polls). I have raised issues within the party norms and the legislators have conveyed their message to the party leadership. I will not harm either the party or ideology," she told reporters here after meeting party General Secretary Incharge of Madhya Pradesh Arun Jaitley.

"I am not Vibhishan. I stay in Ayodhya and not Lanka. I will not set my own house on fire. I would prefer to go in exile than harming my party," Bharati, who arrived here from Bhopal enroute to Bihar for campaigning, said.

Alleging that the 'dirty tricks department' of Congress was eyeing Madhya Pradesh, she said, "Congress President Sonia Gandhi is hatching a conspiracy to impose President's rule in the state. They will never succeed. I will disappoint them."

Later, Bharati told PTI, "Honesty and righteousness should be part of the polity. They should never be non-issues. On this issue, I will continue my fight both within and outside the party. I want the women of this country to bless me in this."

Earlier, on arrival in the capital, she told reporters that she had given birth to the BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh.

"I am its mother. I will not allow its downfall. Otherwise, given the support of the party legislators, it could have fallen any time. In the last three days, people could have marched to Governor's House and the Government could have fallen. But we will not let that happen at any cost."