Atal prevails, Khurana is back

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seemed to have finally resolved the imbroglio arising out of Madan Lal Khurana's expulsion from the party. Khurana was today informed that his expulsion order had been revoked and his primary membership of the BJP restored.

After five days of tense negotiations, BJP President LK Advani received a regret letter from Khurana, whose cause was being championed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

A solution to the problem began evolving last night when a formula for Khurana's return was discussed and given shape to by BJP general secretaries Pramod Mahajan and Rajnath Singh. Vajpayee, who had been visiting Lucknow yesterday in an act of rapprochement, recalled his 40-year-old friendship with Advani, saying that mere difference of opinion could not wreck their long association.

According to BJP sources, Mahajan and Singh held a breakfast meeting with Vajpayee and Khurana. At the meeting, Khurana was informed that he would have to send a regret letter to Advani. The text of the letter was reportedly drafted by Mahajan.

Khurana said in the letter, "I regret the statements I made and take them back. I realise that these statements have harmed the party and caused you mental anguish. I request you allow me to serve the country through the party."

Both Advani and Vajpayee were informed of the contents of the letter. This was followed by another party general secretary Sanjay Joshi being asked to send a letter to Khurana, revoking his expulsion.

The attempts by the general secretaries to defuse the crisis over the Khurana episode was seen as a move to prevent a fatal breach in the BJP leadership. Mahajan, however, justified Vajpayee's statement on Khurana's expulsion. "He is the top leader of the BJP and we, therefore, honour his every wish," he said.

Asked whether taking back Khurana meant that Vajpayee's influence was greater than that of the party president, Mahajan said, "Vajpayeeji has an influence on every activity of the BJP, not just this matter."

Khurana's is not the first instance of a BJP leader being expelled from the party for going public with grievances and subsequently taken back. Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharati are prime examples of such a flip-flop. When Mahajan was asked why such episodes were being repeated in the BJP, he said the party, too, was "'concerned about the matter".