Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, it is learnt, had threatened the BJP top brass with serious consequences if former party leader and RSS man Sanjay Joshi was reinducted.
BJP chief Nitin Gadkari’s serious attempts to bring back the former general secretary (organisation) in the party have proved futile so far as the Gujarat chief minister, considered Mr Joshi’s bête noire, is proving to be the biggest hurdle coming in the way of Mr Gadkari’s plan.
Mr Joshi, who is unofficially working for the party and has been asked to resurrect the BJP’s political graph in Uttar Prdesh, had to leave the BJP after a controversial sex CD involving him. Despite the CD controversy, Mr Joshi is still commended for his organisational skills and his reach among the party and Sangh rank and file.
Despite a section within the party averse to Mr Joshi’s reinduction, sources disclosed that after the reinduction of firebrand sanyasin Uma Bharti, hectic parleys had begun within the party over the issue.
However, the Gujarat chief minister, it was learnt, threatened the BJP top brass with serious consequences if Mr Joshi was taken back in the party. Ms Bharti, who had to quit the BJP after publicly criticising senior leaders, was reinducted last week to help the party’s political prospects in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
Attempts were made both by the RSS and Mr Gadkari to bring back Mr Joshi in the party fold ever since Mr Gadkari was appointed to the BJP chief’s post. Though Mr Gadkari was successful in reinducting Mr Bharti as well as senior leader Jaswant Singh, who was asked to leave party after the release of his book praising Pakistan founder M.A. Jinnah, Mr Joshi’s reinduction still remains the biggest challenge for Mr Gadkari. Though senior BJP leader L.K. Advani was also averse to Mr Joshi’s reinduction, he had to agree after the RSS and Mr Gadkari convinced him.
Despite the RSS’ insistence over Mr Joshi’s reinduction, Mr Modi, once considered very close to Mr Joshi, is proving to be the biggest hurdle for the BJP top brass to bring its former leader back in the party.