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Vajpayee cancels press meet
citing 'bad throat'

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Sunday cancelled a press conference in Lucknow citing "bad throat."

Senior government officials later revealed that the prime minister had cancelled all his afternoon engagements and that he would return to New Delhi just past noon.

Vajpayee was scheduled to attend several functions in Lucknow on Sunday, including a Bharatiya Janata Party workers' meeting.

Earlier, the prime minister had refused to meet some MLAs of his party who were disgruntled with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's style of functioning.

BJP is a coalition partner in the Uttar Pradesh government.

Greeting the media personnel at the press conference, Vajpayee said he wanted to have a detailed question-answer session as he was meeting the Lucknow press after a long interval.

"This is why I seek your pardon today. If my throat improves by evening, I will talk to you at the airport or I will try to visit Lucknow soon again," he said.

Asked about the absence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at the press conference, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Vijay Goel said it was not mandatory for a chief minister to be present at the prime minister's press meet.

PTI

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