Koshiyari quits RS amid demands for replacing Khanduri

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari today quit as Rajya Sabha member in an apparent bid to push for leadership change in the BJP-ruled state where the party fared miserably in the Lok Sabha elections.  

"I have quit as a member of the Rajya Sabha. I have sent my resignation to the Chairman," he told reporters here.  

The senior BJP leader said he had resigned from the Upper House to devote more time to "resurrect" the party in the hill state where it lost at all the five Lok Sabha seats.  

"I will work like an ordinary party worker to resurrect the BJP in Uttarakhand and take it to the victory path in the 2012 assembly elections," he said.  

Voices of dissent grew louder in the Uttarakhand BJP following the defeat of the party in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The Koshiyari camp has been demanding resignation of Chief Minister B C Khanduri.        

The BJP high command, which is grappling with the situation arising out of dissenting voices from some prominent central leaders, has been in favour of maintaining status quo on the issue of chief ministership.  

With an atmosphere of political uncertainty prevailing in the state, the opposition Congress has demanded imposition of President's rule saying infighting in the ruling BJP was hampering development process.