New Delhi, August 29: The RSS appears to have stepped in to resolve the crisis in BJP as its chief Mohan Bhagwat held discussions tonight with senior party leaders and is likely to meet LK Advani tomorrow.
BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar held over three-hour deliberations with the RSS chief to discuss the problems afflicting their party.
Ram Lal, BJP general secretary (Organiation) and RSS pointsman in the party, was also present during the meeting.
After their talks with Bhagwat, Swaraj, Jaitley, Naidu and Kumar went to the residence of Advani to apprise him of the talks at the RSS office here.
Before meeting Bhagwat, Jaitley held talks with Advani.
Last night, BJP president Rajnath Singh had met Bhagwat and was understood to have discussed the escalating internal squabbles plaguing the party.
The issues raised by senior party leader Arun Shourie and Jaswant Singh’s controversial book on MA Jinnah and his subsequent expulsion from BJP were also understood to have come up for discussion.
Singh had also briefed Bhagwat on the deliberations that took place during the BJP’s chintan baithak in Shimla last week.
Another senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi had held an hour-long meeting with Bhagwat on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Bhagwat said he had told Singh that the party leaders should “work unitedly” and “move forward”.
At a press conference here, Bhagwat made it clear that the Sangh fountainhead would “help and advise” if sought but will not interfere in the party’s affairs.
After the meetings, Naidu said the deliberations were “routine” and dismissed reports that leadership change or succession were discussed.
He said the BJP leaders had met Bhagwat as he was in town.
“There was no discussion on succession or leadership change and these are all media speculation,” Naidu said.
–PTI–