Lucknow: In a bid to set its house in order ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, senior leaders of BJP in Uttar Pradesh have mounted efforts to mollify party stalwart Kalyan Singh who is sulking over the party's decision to field Ashok Pradhan in Bulandshahar constituency.

Senior party leader and incharge of election campaign in the state Kalraj Misra and state unit president of the party Ramapati Ram Tripathi held separate meetings with Kalyan Singh this week during which the decision that had annoyed Singh is also believed to have figured, sources close to the former chief minister said.

Kalyan Singh is annoyed with the party central leadership's decision to field its Pradhan, sitting Khurja MP, from Singh s Bulandshahar seat which has been made a reserved constituency one after delimitation.

Kalyan Singh has accused Pradhan of working against the party candidates in the last assembly elections and has made it clear that Pradhan's candidature was unacceptable to him.

BJP sources said both Kalraj and Tripathi had met Kalyan Singh to extend invitation for the working committee meeting in Saharanpur scheduled for December 26.

Sources said that with the poll process in six states coming to an end soon, the national leaders might sit and deliberate on the issue of Pradhan's candidature.

Singh, who is considered quite influential in the western region of the state, had made known his views on the candidate to be fielded from the seat held by him in the present Lok Sabha.

Sources said that Pradhan too had made several efforts to meet Kalyan Singh but had so far been denied an audience.
Source : PTI