Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, April 1

Mr Kanshi Ram, BSP chief, held a meeting with Mr Kamal Chaudhry, former MP, who recently resigned from the BJP, for more than two hours at his residence here last evening. He came to Hoshiarpur from Delhi to meet Mr Chaudhry only. On receiving information about the meeting, mediamen reached the residence of Mr Kamal Chaudhry to know the outcome of the discussion. They had to wait for two hours to meet both leaders.

Coming out from the meeting, Mr Kanshi Ram said he simply met Mr Chaudhry to seek his advice and cooperation on certain issues. Mr Chaudhry explained to him the reasons of his resignation from the BJP. They discussed the present political situation in Punjab. The BSP chief said he had suggested to Mr Chaudhry not to join any political party hastily. He should think before joining any political party in future.

He added that he was satisfied with the BSP performance in UP and had authorised Ms Mayawati to look into the political affairs of the State. He was now concentrating on Punjab politics to unite the Bahujan Samaj for elections of State Assembly during February 2002.

He claimed that the BSP was the only political party in the country to become national party in seven/eight years whereas the Congress and the BJP had to wait for several years to become national parties.

To a question Mr Kanshi Ram said the BSP would not make alliance with any of the political party and contest elections in Punjab independently. He made it clear that the BSP would not join the third front.

He said his politics was based on casteism. He was trying to unite Ramdasias, Mazhabis Ad-dharmis and Balmikis, who had considerable vote bank to grab power. He emphasised on installing a non-Jat Chief Minister in Punjab. He remarked that none of the person of non-Jat community ever thought of becoming the Chief Minister of Punjab. He had made up his mind to break this tradition.

Mr Chaudhry said people of Punjab would soon see a revolutionary change in the state politics. He alleged that the people had been fed up with the corrupt rule, mis-management and anti-farmer attitude of the SAD-BJP government