THIRTEEN STATE presidents of the Bhartiya Jana Shakti (BJS) party expelled its party president Uma Bharti, after they met in Delhi, on Wednesday evening. They elected its national general secretary (NGS) Prahlad Patel as the new party president.

 

Political circles are abuzz about a possible merger of BJS with BJP, anytime after April 7, during the Vasantik Navaratri. The move to expel her was triggered by Patel and his men, to embarrass her. Their offence is their defense. However, minus the fiery, feisty leader, BJS would be an insipid party, observers opine.

 

The BJP top leadership wanted to take her back in the party fold. The party president Rajnath Singh and senior leader Lal Krishna Advani were in agreement. The BJP has been mending fences with its estranged leaders. The return of Madan Lal Khurana to the BJP is a case in point.

 

Sources close to Bharti said that her expulsion was meaningless, null and void. One of them said, “Without Bharti, BJS is hollow.”

 

Meanwhile, Bharti would address a press conference at the New Delhi Press Club, on Thursday (April 3). The political developments that unfold would be interesting. An observer said, “Just wait and see which way the wind blows!”