Advani's resignation detrimental to 'NDA's health': Sharad Yadav

Expressing his displeasure at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran Lal Krishna Advani's decision to quit from three key posts in the saffron outfit, Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav on Monday described the latest political development as detrimental to 'the health of the NDA'.

Yadav said the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) was cobbled together by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani

"The maximum contribution in making of NDA was of Atal ji and Advani ji, we had our agreement with them. So, this news has hurt me. It is a new development. He was the working president in the NDA and I was the convenor," he added.

Yadav, who is the convenor of the NDA coalition that is anchored by the BJP, further said that his party would very soon meet and decide on the future course of action following Advani's resignation.

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Advani, who was upset over Modi's promotion as the head of the party's election committee, today quit from key posts in the BJP.

In a letter written and sent to BJP president Rajnath Singh, Advani said he had worked for the most part of his life for the Jan Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party, and now, he was finding it difficult to reconcile with the recent policies and actions of the party, besides the direction in which the BJP was heading.

In the light of the latest developments concerning the BJP, Advani said he was resigning from the BJP's national executive, the party's parliamentary board and its election committee.

Advani's sudden announcement to resign from key BJP posts, came a day after the party leadership appointed Narendra Modi as the chairman of its national election committee, much against the former's wishes.

The BJP President has, however, refused to accept Advani's resignation.

"I have not accepted Shri Advaniji's resignation," he tweeted.

In an apparent warning about what his next steps could be, Advani earlier on Sunday made a reference to a wounded 'Bhishma Pitamah' lying on a bed of arrows in a scene in Mahabharata.

The 83-year-old party stalwart, however, made no mention of the Gujarat chief Minister in his blog.

The reference to Mahabharata epic, which is often interpreted metaphorically, was made by Advani in his blog on a day when he was over-ruled and Modi was anointed as chief of the BJP's election campaign committee.