The Hindu : New Delhi News : Ground being prepared for Khurana's return to BJP again?

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Friday, Dec 01, 2006
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New Delhi

Ground being prepared for Khurana's return to BJP again?

Sujay Mehdudia

RSS leaders backing the case of re-entry; some party leaders opposed to it

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana is once again in the news. This time round for trying to stage another comeback to the Bharatiya Janata Party after having taken on senior party leaders, including former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, and charging them with running the party like a private limited company.

Speculation is rife in the Delhi BJP about Mr. Khurana's imminent return to the party fold. Though there is no visible opposition to Mr. Khurana's re-entry, some leaders are apprehensive about his presence and its impact on their political future. It is reliably learnt that final negotiations are underway to prepare the ground for Mr. Khurana's re-entry and only the terms for his return need to be worked out. It also explains why Mr. Khurana has been keeping a low profile in the past few weeks.

Highly placed sources informed that a senior Delhi BJP leader, Bhola Nath Vij is spearheading the campaign for Mr. Khurana's "respectable return" and the matter has reached even party president Raj Nath Singh. It is learnt that Mr. Vij has over the past few weeks been impressing upon the senior BJP leaders to give Mr. Khurana another chance to not only serve the party but also to undo the damage he had done during the past few months. The entire movement is also being monitored at the Sangh Parivar level with some RSS leaders also backing the case of re-entry of Mr. Khurana back into the party. "It is just a matter of time. All the details are being worked out for his return to the party. He has to withdraw many things he had said in the past. A way out is being prepared for a "formal apology" that would satisfy the senior party leaders and also not hurt Mr. Khurana's ego. He is part of us and we will welcome him back in the party," a senior leader remarked.

It is learnt that South Delhi MP and senior party leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who is also in-charge of Delhi, is not very enthusiastic about the former Chief Minister's return. However, many local party leaders are of the view that Mr. Khurana's return will have little impact on the local power politics as he is hardly his former self. Sources said Mr. Khurana was wanting to return to the party as he has not been able to get over the fact that he is out of the party he served for almost five decades and feels that he belongs to the BJP only.

"Mr. Khurana's return could also have an impact for the party and its fortunes in the MCD polls as well as the Assembly elections in Punjab as he has a very personal equation with Shiromani Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal.

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