New Delhi, June 02: Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani, known for his maverick ways, has sprung another surprise. He now wants to return to the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) and have another stint in the Rajya Sabha.
In his long innings as a member of both Houses of Parliament, Jethmalani has taken support from parties that range across the political spectrum — the Shiv Sena, the BJP, the Congress and even the Janata Dal.
The 86- year- old lawyer, who was recently elected as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, is understood to have written to BJP leader L. K. Advani, expressing his desire to re- join the party and get a ticket to the Rajya Sabha. His term in the Upper House expired in August last year.
Jethmalani is also learnt to have expressed his urgency to enter the Rajya Sabha and not wait till a vacancy arises in November from Gujarat.
Except Advani, whom he represented in the Babri Masjid case, the lawyer doesn’t seem to have many supporters in the BJP. But Jethmalani’s entry into the party is believed to be under “ active consideration” of the leadership.
He could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.
Jethmalani currently represents Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the riots cases in the Supreme Court.
His decision to defend the BJP’s poster boy has definitely bolstered his chances of regaining entry into the party.
Jethmalani’s association with the BJP has gone from one extreme to the other.
After being a minister in the A. B. Vajpayee government, he filed nomination against the former prime minister during the 2004 general elections.
Jethmalani, who had a 40- year- long association with Vajpayee as he helped draft the BJP’s constitution in 1980 and then went on to become minister in his cabinet, was asked to resign as law minister following his spat with the judiciary.
Jethmalani began his political career in 1977 when he won the Bombay North West seat on a Lok Dal ticket.
Since his first election to Lok Sabha, he has flirted with many parties.
The Shiv Sena had protested against him over reports of his decision to plead the case of the Parliament attack accused. The party had asked him to resign his Rajya Sabha seat from Maharashtra that he had won with their support.
Jethmalani has often courted controversy — not only for defending people in some of India’s most highprofile cases but also for speaking his mind whether inside or outside the government.
His decision to defend Manu Sharma in the Jessica Lall murder case had invited criticism. He has also defended Lalu Prasad in the fodder scam and Sanjay Dutt in Mumbai blast case
—Agencies