"Sanjay Joshi has requested BJP President Nitin Gadkari to relieve him from the party and his request has been accepted by the party president," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters.
Asked what prompted this sudden decision, the spokesperson was evasive and only reiterated the statement.
"It is very clear that Joshi requested that he should be relieved from the party and the party president has accepted it. This is so clear in itself and you also understand this," he said.
However, sources close to Joshi insisted that he had only asked that he be relieved from all party work and had not relinquished his primary membership of the BJP.
Well-placed sources said Modi was miffed that even after Joshi's resignation from the national executive, he continued to create trouble with BJP and RSS mouthpieces as well as anonymous hoardings rooting for him and hitting out at the Gujarat Chief Minister.
"Modi had put pressure on Gadkari and the top brass after realising that Joshi is actively working for BJP for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh local bodies elections. He was further annoyed by the posters and hoardings that were put up in Ahmedabad and at BJP headquarters," a party leader said.
Joshi is now likely to be confined to RSS work and will be kept out of BJP affairs. (MORE)
