New Delhi:
For the first time, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has admitted that it was a mistake for the party to induct Neera Yadav.
Speaking to NDTV, the man heading BJP prime ministerial candidate L K Advani's campaign, Sudheendra Kulkarni said the party was embarrassed by her induction and that many BJP leaders were unhappy with the decision.
The admission coming from L K Advani's campaign manager is another indication of differences between the party's president and prime-minsterial candidate.
Neera is the first IAS officer removed from service by the Supreme Court on charges of corruption. She was inducted into the party by BJP president Rajnath Singh, who's decisions in the run-up to the elections have met with opposition from within the party.
Rajnath's decision to appoint Sudhanshu Mittal as chief of the party's northeast affairs earlier saw protests led by Arun Jaitley. Rajnath was also seen to be favouring his loyalists for Lok Sabha tickets despite opposition from local party workers in a bid to stamp his authority as party president.
Meanwhile, Neera Yadav spoke to NDTV, saying that she was just another party worker and should not be singled out