BHOPAL: Alarm bells seem to have started ringing for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh. In a massive show of strength on the eve of assembly polls, former chief minister Uma Bharti declared she was not joining the BJP. Instead, she vowed to ensure the BJPs defeat at the hustings.

Her Bharatiya Jan Shaktis "Suraaj Sankalp Rally" (rally for better governance), organised on Monday, is likely to give sleepless nights to Shivraj Singh Chauhan who is seeking a second term in office, this November-December.

Uma set off her election campaign in style with her crowd-pulling and oratory skills. There were sadhus and saints; peasants and poor labourers and a large number of women. Incidentally, the rally venue was the same ground where she was sworn in as the first woman chief minister of the state in December 2003. But this time, the stage was devoid of the Advanis and the Jaitleys; Modis and Naidus who had graced the high-profile ceremony five years ago and had profusely blessed her. Today they are at the receiving end getting mouthful of invectives from the saffron brigades once-beloved star.

Uma is expected to field a large number of candidates from her nascent outfit - BJS - in the 230-seat assembly polls in MP. BJPs return to power, political observers here say, hinges largely on the fact how much influence she wields in these elections, first since she was thrown out of the BJP in 2004. Her rally on Monday saw attendance of her castes people (Lodhi) in large number. The Lodhis are in a big number in many assembly segments.

On Monday she was at her verbal worst - hitting out at Manmohan Singh and LK Advani alike. On the one hand, she launched a blistering attack on her once-revered "dada" Advani and on the other, espoused the cause of the downtrodden while lampooning the UPA government for its "failure".

Uma said both the BJP and the Congress were aiding and abetting terrorism. "Madhya Pradesh has become the safe and secured haven for SIMI terrorists and the BJP is doing little to control them."

She brought a fragile poor woman on the stage from the mammoth gathering to have 51-point charge sheet released against the BJP government amidst chanting "Uma Bharti zindabad" by a large number of sadhus and saints who had descended on Bhopal.

Umas charge sheet was full of corruption charges against chief minister Shivraj Singhs cabinet ministers, some of whom were close to her in the past. Uma said corruption had reached "unprecedented" levels in MP and the poor had no place to live in MP. She said her party would go to polls on the plank of corruption that had "crossed all limits".
Source : DNA