New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi may have had his way in the ouster of his bete noire Sanjay Joshi from the BJP National Executive by forcing him to resign but the former General Secretary of the party is back in action in Uttar Pradesh for the local bodies elections.
Joshi held meetings with party office bearers and leaders in Meerut district of UP on Wednesday. He was accompanied by former Bareilly MP Santosh Gangwar. BJP will put up a mayoral candidate in Meerut, party sources said.
Joshi is likely to have a major say in ticket distribution for the municipal and corporation level elections in Uttar Pradesh. Since BJP`s votebank is mainly in the urban areas- especially the upper castes and traders- the stakes are high for the party.
The former BJP general secretary has won a lot of sympathy among the party cadre and even central leaders after he was forced to resign at the just-concluded party conclave in Mumbai.
Modi had put the condition that he will attend the Meet only if Joshi resigns from the BJP National Executive.
"I have been asked to work for the party in the local bodies elections in Uttar Pradesh," Joshi said.
While more meetings are in the offing in Lucknow in the coming days, Joshi has already held a round of meetings in Delhi.
Party MP from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi was among those who discussed the mayoral polls in UP with Joshi.
Though party leaders kept mum on Joshi`s future role, the important job assigned to him in the UP local bodies polls is an indicator that BJP President Nitin Gadkari intends to use his talents despite opposition from Modi.
PTI
