In a week loaded with feverish political developments in New Delhi, Bharatiya Janata Party pr esident Jana Krishnamurthy remained in the spotlight due to his tough stance on Union Food Minister Shanta Kumar. The minister had publicly asked for the ouster of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, prompting Krishnamurthy to consider disciplinary action against him for violating party discipline. But Kumar tendered a written apology to the party president and the matter "was closed".

Put in charge of the party after former president Bangaru Laxman exited under the shadow of the Tehelka scandal, the 72-year-old Krishnamurthy is known as the party's organisational man. He spoke to Onkar Singh in New Delhi about Shanta Kumar's apology and the emerging political equations in Uttar Pradesh. Excerpts:

When the BJP's graph started going up, the party claimed that the people liked it because it was a party with a difference. Now the BJP is seeking alliances from opportunistic parties as well?

What has this got to do with the BJP as a party? The BJP continues to be the party with a difference.

How?

We never said we would not form an alliance with any other party. As far back as in 1984, we had joined hands with Chaudhary Charan Singh's party and contested the elections. We formed the National Democratic Alliance with him. This has got nothing to do with the BJP's claim that it is a party with a difference. We have also told you that we are now looking for parties with similar views. We want to carry the entire nation with us.

Have you any strategy to do that?

We have started with all those parties who are agreeable to a common agenda and who would like to work under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. More than 20 parties have agreed with our strategy and it is working fine. The government under the leadership of Vajpayeeji is functioning effectively.

In fact we want to have an understanding with the Opposition parties also on certain issues. So far we have not succeeded. We will try this process further in the states as well.

But hasn't it hurt the party's image in the sense that in the recent state assembly elections the party did so badly that you have been forced to join hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh to remain in power?

I do not agree with you at all. On the other hand the party's image has gone up in the sense that the BJP is willing to carry as many persons as possible with it. So far the impression about the BJP was that it is an exclusive party. Now people have started feeling that it is prepared to accommodate other parties.

But the state assembly elections do not show the BJP favourably.

It does not make much of a difference. We have started from the central level. But this experiment has not percolated to the state level. We will see the impact of the alliance at the Centre in the states in due course of time.

Some of the Cabinet ministers have been criticising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for not resigning even after hundreds have been killed in violence. Comment?

First of all I would like to correct the impression that many ministers at the Centre have been critical. Not even some of them. Only one person, namely Shanta Kumar, demanded Modi's resignation in public. He has sent a letter of apology to me.

Have you accepted his apology and closed the matter?

As far as I am concerned the matter has been closed as I have accepted his apology. No further action is being contemplated against him.

In short you are saying he will continue to be a minister at the Centre?

I cannot answer this question because it is the prerogative of the prime minister. The matter is between Vajpayeeji and Shanta Kumar now.

The general impression is that the BJP enacted the drama of Narendra Modi's resignation at its national executive meeting in Goa last week. He offered the resignation and then suddenly the party asked him to withdraw it...

I refuse to answer the question because it seeks to put words in my mouth. You are accusing the BJP of staging a drama. Why should I answer this question? I refuse to answer it. You should put straight questions. You could have asked that Modi offered his resignation, why did you turn it down. Instead you are trying to level charges against my party. And then expect the party president to answer the charge? I refuse to answer the question. You are hurting my sentiments.

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