Even as they expressed confidence in Bharatiya Janata Party leadership that is unrelenting on agreeing to an immediate change of guard in Madhya Pradesh, Uma Bharti loyalists on Wednesday stepped up their tirade against Chief Minister Babulal Gaur and held talks with her to chalk out their further moves.
"We have to make Umaji the chief minister. We are confident that party high command will consider it", member of legislative assembly and former state minister Sunil Nayak told reporters outside Bharti's residence.
Since Wednesday morning, around 45-odd MLAs met Bharti, who deferred her plans to return to electioneering in Bihar to work out their next move in the wake of the party top brass rejecting their demand for convening a legislature party meeting and discussing the leadership change until completion of Bihar polls.
While most of the known Bharti loyalists were holding closed-door discussions with her, state Public Works Department Minister Kailash Vijayvergiya became their target of attack for reportedly claiming to a local media channel on Tuesday that by merely signing letters, no one could become the chief minister.
"He, hand in glove with Babulal Gaur, is involved in corruption and thus is speaking the chief minister's language," Nayak alleged.
Clarifying the MLAs' stand, he said, "we have asked for ouster of Gaur and convening of a legislature party meeting in the letter sent to the party high command. There is no mention of making Bharti the chief minister."
Meanwhile, sources close to Bharti said she had summoned all disgruntled MLAs at her residence to finalise future strategy.
More from rediff