New Delhi:
24 hours after
LK Advani quit all his posts in the BJP, the 85-year-old has withdrawn his resignation, BJP chief
Rajnath Singh announced this evening.
Mr Advani was not present at the press conference which was held at his house - Mr Singh said it would have been disrespectful to have Mr Advani attend an announcement about him. (
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Also missing was a clear picture of the terms of the compromise - it's not clear what the BJP ceded to secure Mr Advani's return. On record, the BJP chief said only that in future, he will directly address any concerns that Mr Advani has about the party. (
Highlights of Rajnath Singh's press conference)
For Mr Advani, the rapprochement with the BJP suggests another reconciliation - to the primacy of
Narendra Modi, the Gujarat Chief Minister, who was chosen to lead the BJP's election campaign despite Mr Advani's ardent opposition.
Mr Modi tweeted from Gujarat this evening, "I had said yesterday that Advani ji will not disappoint lakhs of Karyakartas. Today, I whole heartedly welcome his decision!"
Sources say that Mr Advani has been assured that Mr Modi's appointment as the chairman of the campaign committee will not automatically lead to his selection as the party's prime ministerial candidate. The BJP has reportedly promised extensive consultations to select its presumptive prime minister.
Earlier this evening, Mr Advani spoke to Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the BJP's powerful ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh or RSS. In that conversation, the BJP said, Mr Advani was persuaded to "respect the parliamentary board's decision" to reject his resignation from the national executive, the parliamentary board and the election committee.
Mr Advani was reported to be deeply offended by the RSS's alleged decision to have the BJP announce Mr Modi's promotion as election chief at a conference in Goa even though Mr Advani was absent.