Khurana wants to return to central politics

One Bharatiya Janata Party-appointed governor who is disappointed at not being removed by the central government is Rajasthan Governor Madan Lal Khurana.

Khurana, who was hoping that his removal would signal his return to active politics especially state politics in Delhi, has been waiting in the wings and has, according to sources been sending enough feelers to the central leadership of the BJP to recall him to Delhi.

According to sources in Delhi BJP, the recent agitation by industrialists protesting their shifting to the outskirts of the city has been a trigger for renewed effort by Khurana and his supporters for a return to active politics.

State BJP vice-president Harsharan Singh Balli accompanied by several industrialists had recently gone to Jaipur to plead with Khurana to intervene on behalf of the industrialists with the Delhi government. Balli's contention was that the present BJP chief Dr Harshvaradhan was not effective enough to lead the agitation.

In fact, Khurana has been in regular touch with his supporters in Delhi, and has tried to get the central leadership of the BJP to recall him. "He met Advaniji and asked to come back to Delhi, in fact he had asked this even when the party was being re-organised after the defeat in the General Elections," said a senior leader in Delhi BJP.

"Advaniji however was cold to the idea and said that there was no appropriate post for Khurana in the party, and that the Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje needed a 'friendly governor' in the state," added the leader.

However, Raje has confessed that she would not be averse to seeing the back of Khurana. Khurana has been an unusually proactive governor, holding Janata durbars and even pulling up the government as in the case of suspected starvation deaths in Baran district in the state.

"The Rajasthan government's official position is that there are no starvation deaths in the state, therefore Khurana's statement has embarrassed them," said a senior party leader.

It is no secret that Khurana was a reluctant entrant into Raj Bhavan and would love an opportunity to return to Delhi. His own party's reluctance to give him another chance is however, standing between him and active politics.