Monday, December 5 2005 18:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Raisen (MP): Claiming the support of a majority of MLAs in Madhya Pradesh, suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti today (Dec 5, 2005) said only a secret ballot at the legislature party meeting could reveal Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's strength.

"If leaders sitting in Delhi convene legislature party meeting again and hold secret voting, Chouhan will know his strength. Even today, I enjoy the support of 116 MLAs," Bharti told reporters at Pathari village near here in the midst of her Bhopal-Ayodhya march.

She alleged that the BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan had 'snatched' the Government, which was like her child and handed it over to others.

"The MLAs were mine, power was with me and the Government was given to somebody else," she alleged, saying, "I never wanted Pramod Mahajan to decide who will be the Chief Minister o f Madhya Pradesh." Instead of seeking suggestions from MLAs, "Four people took a decision about it, while sitting in a drawing room in Delhi," she alleged.

On why she has trained guns on leaders like former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and party Presidet L K Advani, she said she was reacting to the charges levelled against her.

"I will have to reply to the charges to protect my self-respect. If you (senior leaders) have respect, I too have it," she claimed.