BJP mounts pressure on President

In an attempt to embarrass the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears determined to make the removal of the National Democratic Alliance-appointed governors a political issue.

After the Union home ministry reportedly asked at least three of the NDA-appointed governors to put in their papers, a high-level BJP delegation here today called on President APJ Abdul Kalam and urged him to ensure that the governors were not "pressurised" by the UPA government to resign.

According to BJP sources, the party has decided to milk the governor's issue for all its worth. "The main issue is to paint the UPA government as a vindictive one, which is why a party directive has gone to all NDA-appointed governor not to offer to resign," said a BJP leader. Except for Delhi and Pondicherry Lt Governors Vijai Kapoor and NN Jha, none have submitted their papers.

The President was also informed that none of the United Front appointed governors had been asked to resign by the NDA government and that the President should also follow the precedent set by the previous government.

Earlier on Saturday, BJP leader LK Advani and Jaswant Singh had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the issue. According to sources, the Prime Minister said he was unaware of a directive issued to the governors to quit. After Singh spoke to the Home Minister Shivraj Patil, he said he would look into the matter.

The answer, apparently, did not satisfy Advani and Singh, and they along with senior leaders MM Joshi, BC Khanduri, VK Malhotra, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jatiley, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and SS Ahluwalia decided to meet the President. A major reason for meeting Kalam, according to Naqvi, was also to inform the President that the matter was in fact in his hands.

"The President can ask the Cabinet to reconsider any decision to sack the governors," said Naqvi.

That the matter will create an embarrassment for the UPA government is also not lost on the BJP.