Sitting MP from Lucknow and senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon Monday refuted that he had raised any red flag against fielding party national president Rajnath Singh from the state capital."This is far from truth. I have cordial relations with the party president and any question of dissent does not arise," he said. He, however, added that so far nobody has sounded him on the proposed candidature of Rajnath Singh, as was being reported in the media."I am the sitting MP from the Lucknow seat and I have not been told about any such thought being under consideration in the party," said Tandon, a close aide of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He added that if BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi desired to contest from Lucknow, he would be happy to vacate the seat for him.
The former urban development minister also said that he was born in Lucknow and worked in the state capital. BJP president Rajnath Singh also played down reports of differences within the party and said that a decision on who contests from where would only be taken by the party's central parliamentary committee.Senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra too trashed reports that Tandon was angry. "These reports are media creation. The party's central board will decide on the candidates keeping in mind their winnability and their affect on nearby seats," he told IANS.He, however, said it would be better if the party consulted Lalji Tandon before considering the candidate for Lucknow.