The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership has denied that it plans to replace Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babu Lal Gaur with party general secretary Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Reports in national dailies had quoted party sources claiming that there would be a change in leadership. The reports also claimed that party president Lal Kishenchand Advani had approved the change.

The move to replace Gaur was seen in the party circles as an attempt to pacify Uma Bharti, who had resigned as the chief minister following summons from a Karnataka court a few months back in connection with a riot case. 

"There is no truth in the reports," a close aide of Advani told rediff.com on Friday.

Even Chouhan denied the reports. "No I am not heading to Bhopal to take over from Gaur as is being suggested in some news reports. I am very much in Delhi and I am going to Parliament right now," he told rediff.com.

"I have no knowledge of the so-called developments. At the moment Gaurji is the chief minister," he added

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