Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow (SP)

Lucknow, Jan 21: Kalyan Singh, two-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and once the face of Hindutva in that state, who was jailed for a day for his failure to stop the demolition of Babri Masjid when he was the chief minister of the state, quit the BJP on Tuesday January 20. The BJP, which is gearing up to face the next Loksabha election, is jolted by his exit. Kalyan Singh, 76,  is from a prominent backward caste, 'Lodha' in the state.

"I have been often insulted and ridiculed in the party. It was wrong on my part to have joined the party again after deserting it in the past. I will not join that party again in my life," he declared. He also informed that he would return the Loksabha ticket allotted to him by the party.

He was feeling sidelined under the BJP particularly in the affairs of the state party unit,  under national president Rajnath Singh, who also hails from UP. Kalyan Singh claimed, that the BJP would not be able to corner even five out of the 80 Loksabha seats in the state in the next election.

The two-time chief minister is likely to join hands with his long-time nemesis and bitter critic Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party. Reportedly, he has already held discussions with Mulayam and got his assurance for the allotment of a Loksabha ticket for his son Rajiv Singh.  Kalyan Singh had quit the BJP in 1999 and had come back in 2004.  He is likely to contest from Itah seat from a Samajwadi Party ticket.