Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: The BJP parliamentary board members outrightly rejected its veteran leader LK Advani`s resignation after he quit from Parliamentary Board, National Executive and Election Committee to protest Narendra Modi being made campaign committee chief on Monday.
The meeting took place at BJP President Rajnath Singh`s residence in the wake of Advani`s resignation to convince him to take back his decision. "We have rejected the resignation of Advaniji," Rajnath said after the two-hour meeting.
The party insisted that it needs Advani`s "guidance more than ever before".
The Board passed a resolution unanimously rejecting Advani`s resignation. Soon after, senior leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar and Ravi Shankar Prasad went to meet Advani to inform him about the Parliamentary Board decision.
"Shri LK Advani, in a letter, sent to me resigned from the Parliamentary Board, National Executive and Election Committee. Ever since the inception of the BJP and the Jana Sangh, he has been there as a leader and guide. That role belongs to him and today the party and nation needs him to be there more than ever before," the resolution said.
The resolution was read out by Rajnath in presence of Swaraj, Jaitley, Kumar and Prasad. Singh said only six of 12 members of the Parliamentary Board were present at the meeting. Four members, including Modi, could not come at such a short notice, he said.
Others absent at the meeting were Murli Manohar Joshi, Thavarchand Gehlot and Nitin Gadkari.
"They have also supported the decision taken by the Parliamentary Board to reject the resignation. They have also talked to Advaniji to request him to take back his resignation," he said.
"As a Party president, I have decided that under no condition, I will accept his resignation," Singh said.
Earlier, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi called Advani and asked him to reconsider his decision.
Modi also tweeted on the micro-blogging site, " In such a short time cannot reach the Parliamentary Board Meeting but will stand by whatever decision the Board takes."
(With inputs from PTI)
