The Bharatiya Janata Party was yesterday faced with a serious crisis in the wake of former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana resigning from the post of party vice-president in protest against the decision to retain Sahib Singh Verma as the state Chief Minister.
The BJP constitution provides that criticising the partys decisions in the media falls under the purview of indiscipline. The party is confronted with a situation where one of the senior most party leaders can be proceeded against under this provision.
Khurana refused to abide by the decision to retain Verma. He accused the party leadership of backing out of a formula evolved on August 2 by which a third candidate was to be elected as the Chief Minisiter, he claimed.
I am psychologically upset over the high commands decision to back out of this formula, he told nesmen yesterday. He said that he would have accepted Verma as the Chief Minister if such a decision were taken on August 2 itself.
He, however, said he would not become another Shankersinh Vaghela and would remain loyal to the party. I will remain an ordinary member of the party and a member of the Delhi legislative assembly. Loyalty to my party demands that I suffer and serve, he said. Vahgela had split the BJPs Gujarat unit, formed his own party and assumed office with the help of the Congress.
While a person who had resorted to threatening tactics to retain the Chief Ministership had been rewarded, I, who accepted the high commands decision gracefully, have been humiliated, Khurana said. Party vice-president KL Sharma denied that the BJP high command, represented by party president LK Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, had committed themselves to replacing Verma with third candidate. All options, incluiding a third candidate, were discussed but no decision was taken, he said.
Sharma refused to comment whether Khuranas action would constitute indiscipline, but claimed that the party would not adopt double standards in dealing with the situation. He hoped that the party high command would be able to persuade Khurana to withdraw his resignation and that the problem would be resolved.
However, Sharma disclosed that both Khurana and Verma had given written undertaking to accept the party high commands decision. He claimed that Verma enjoyed full confidence of the BJP legislature party in Delhi assembly. Senior party leaders adopted a cautious approach on the resignation. Advani said he had advised Khurana to reconsider his decision.I think it is an impetuous reaction, Advani said,.
Adding that he is a valued party colleague and will remain so.
Khuranas letter to Advani said the decision to allow Verma to continue in office clearly shows that you too ( Advani and Vajpayee) consider me as guilty although the court has discharged me. Khurana had resigned as Delhi chief minister when his name figured in the hawala case. Vajpayee said: I want Khurana to accept the party presidents decision and withdraw his resignation. Khurana is a dedicated worker and I hope he would remain so.
On the resignation of party MP Banwari Lal Purohit from the Lok Sabha, Vajpayee said he had not received Purohits resignation letter. I had a telephonic talk with Purohit. I will not forward his letter to the Lok Sabha speaker, he added. Vajpayee clarified that Purohit had not apologised over his allegation against Pramod Mahajan, but had only expressed regrets.
