Mumbai, May 24: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi today attended the BJP national executive meeting here, hours after his bete noire Sanjay Joshi tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the party.
Modi had his way forcing the resignation of his bete noire from the BJP National Executive after which he decided to attend the two-day meeting which he had earlier planned to boycott.
Party chief Nitin Gadkari, who had brought Joshi back into the executive, announced the end of a “small controversy” and declared that he and the Gujarat strongman will work together to strengthen the party, setting the stage for deliberations in the executive.
Modi announced in Udaipur that he will go to Mumbai in the afternoon for the meeting of the executive, which will pave the way for giving another term to Gadkari as Party President.
Gadkari said with the end of this row, he and Modi will work “shoulder to shoulder” to strengthen the organisation in the changed political scenario.
The BJP chief also praised Joshi for showing “large heart” in resigning from the executive in the interest of the organisation to “end” any controversy.
“Joshi has in a letter to me has said that he is resigning in the interest of the party,” the BJP President said projecting a picture of unity in the organisation at a time when it is planning a major agitation against UPA government over petrol price hike.
There were apprehensions that the absence of Modi could cast a shadow over the meet which is expected to pave the way for a second three year for Gadkari as BJP chief.
The conclave is the first major gathering of the party top brass ahead of assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the two party-ruled states, scheduled by year-end.
Modi had not attended the last meeting of the National Executive held in Delhi in September apparently peeved over the induction of Joshi into Uttar Pradesh election campaign by Gadkari. He had also not campaigned in the UP polls.
The talk in BJP circles is that Modi had threatened to resign from the National Executive if Joshi is retained in the body where he is an invitee member.
Gadkari did not want to give any handle for Modi to stay away from the Mumbai meet which is expected to pass a resolution seeking a change in BJP constitution giving a consecutive three year term to the party chief.
Gadkari and Modi have not been on the best of terms in recent times and the party chief had in an interview conceded that they have little interaction.
After a gap of six years, Joshi, who has been a former party general secretary, had been asked by Gadkari to assist party in UP assembly polls.
This decision had not gone down well with Modi who has never seen Joshi eye-to-eye.
Modi had all these years stiffly resisted moves to bring back Joshi.
Mumbai has proved unlucky for Joshi for the second time.
In 2005, Joshi was forced to resign following a controversy over a CD purportedly showing him in poor light. The CD surfaced during the silver jubilee celebrations of the party in the megapolis.
Joshi was at that time a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ‘pracharak' nominee in the party in the powerful position of general secretary (organisation).
BJP sources said, the entire Gujarat BJP unit had threatened not to attend the national executive because of the Sanjay Joshi episode.
One source even said, Modi offered to quit his chiefministership if Joshi was allowed to attend the meeting, and the party high command finally bowed down to Modi's wishes.
The Modi vs Joshi imbroglio began way back in December 2005 when a CD purportedly showing Sanjay Joshi in bed with a woman was circulated among the BJP leaders during the party's National Council meet in Mumbai. Joshi had to resign from the powerful post of party general secretary after this CD scandal.
Joshi had then alleged that the CD, sent by courier to senior BJP leaders, was being used to blackmail him.
Joshi had written to the then DGP of Madhya Pradesh Swaraj Puri complaining about the blackmail, and the CD was handed over to MP CID for investigation. On December 30, 2005, a case was registered in connection with the CD.
Madhya Pradesh police had managed to find out the courier who delivered the CD, but could not trace the name of the actual sender.
On March 30, 2006, DGP Swaraj Puri told mediapersons that the Hyderabad forensic lab report showed that the face of the man in the CD did not match with that of Sanjay Joshi ,and the matter was now treated as closed.
The then IG (CID) M P Dwivedi had said that the fake sex CD was being used to intimidate and blackmail the BJP leader.
On April 2, 2006, Joshi, who had quit as BJP general secretary, was inducted back as a ‘prachark' in the RSS.
He returned five years later to the party on August 26, 2011 and was given the charge of UP assembly polls.
