Prime Minister AB Vajpayee has ruled out replacing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and has asked the party's Uttar Pradesh unit to stem dissident activities to prop up the party's chances in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
In a meeting attended by Union Home Minister LK Advani, party President Kushabhau Thakre, Kalyan Singh, state unit president Rajnath Singh and other state leaders, Kalraj Mishra and Lalji Tandon, Vajpayee asked the chief minister to take along all sections of the party along with him. The meeting was convened at Vajpayee's residence on Sunday.
The central leaders first separately met Kalyan Singh, Rajnath Singh, Mishra and Tandon to listen to their grievances and assess the party's health in the state.
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Later, the central leaders met all of them together and asked them stick together and forget their differences. The central leaders asked Rajnath Singh to enforce discipline in the party.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, a BJP leader said that this would strengthen Kalyan Singh as his detractors in the state unit have been privately claiming that they had the backing of Vajpayee. Kalyan Singh is already known to have Advani's backing.
The centra