Bhopal, Feb. 21: A dejected and demoralised Digvijay Singh today urged Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Kailash Joshi not to induct his brother Laxman Singh into the party but was turned away with a polite “sorry, I cannot help you”.

Digvijay’s uncharacteristic move came after a whisper campaign in Congress circles suggesting that he was involved in pushing the Rajgarh MP into the “enemy camp” as part of a “design”.

The former chief minister said he had no defence to offer against the slur. “I know people are talking about it (saying) that is a Noora kushti (a reference to Noora, a wrestler who had earned notoriety by losing bouts for monetary consideration),” he said.

Joshi told Digvijay that while he “understood” his anguish and embarrassment, he had little to do with his brother’s proposed defection. Laxman had decided to switch sides on his own. “There was no influence, pressure or compulsion whatsoever,” Joshi said.

BJP MLAs met in Bhopal ostensibly to discuss the Assembly session starting on Monday. However, insiders said some legislators expressed unhappiness over Laxman’s entry, pointing at his unsavoury remarks against chief minister Uma Bharti.

A few years ago, Laxman had said at a rally that if it was left to him, he would like to make Uma his “bhabi”. The remark had created a ruckus, prompting an unconditional apology from then chief minister Digvijay.

But the BJP MLAs were silenced when state leaders told them that the central leadership had cleared Laxman’s entry on “national-level considerations”. Camping in Delhi, Laxman had begun targeting Sonia Gandhi before his formal entry in the BJP while the Congress inexplicably dilly-dallied over taking disciplinary action.

In the state Congress office, the mood ranged from dismay to anger. Party leaders said the “least” that was expected of Digvijay was to take on brother Laxman in case the BJP fielded him from Rajgarh.

“Digvijay must contest and if Laxman decides to join the fray from Rajasthan, he should go and camp there to ensure Laxman’s defeat,” said a state Congress general secretary.

Laxman, who was lying low for some time, has accused the Sonia-led Congress of double standards on the DMK and said a “national government” under Atal Bihari Vajpayee should be formed to accelerate growth.

Laxman said the Congress “first pulled down a government (the I.K. Gujral regime in 1998) alleging that the Jain Commission had pointed at the role of the DMK in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and now the same Congress is gearing up for a poll pact with the DMK”.

Paswan for Cong front

Ram Vilas Paswan today said his Lok Janshakti Party would align with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress in Bihar as part of an alliance that might include the Left parties, besides the largely insignificant Nationalist Congress Party, reports our correspondent from Patna.

Paswan’s party would be vying for at least five of the 40 Lok Sabha seats, sources said.

Sources in the RJD said their party was “roughly” looking at a 25:15 ratio, meaning all non-RJD partners would have to confine themselves within the 15-seat limit.

In his hurry to hold up five candidates, Paswan, who not long back spat venom at the RJD and the Congress, is shaking hands with politicians facing serious criminal charges.