BJP parliamentary board rejects Advani's resignation

The BJP's parliamentary board Monday rejected the resignation of party veteran L.K. Advani with party chief Rajnath Singh saying he will never accept it.

"The parliamentary board decided to reject the resignation of Shri Advani-ji," Singh told reporters after a meeting of the board at his official residence here.

Advani, who was apparently miffed over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi being made the party's 2014 poll campaign chief a day earlier, resigned from all party posts Monday.

The parliamentary board recalled contribution of Advani to the BJP and said that his "guidance was needed today more than ever before".

"The parliamentary board is of the opinion that ever since the inception of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party, Shri Advani has been our guide. That role inevitably belongs to him. The party and nation needs his sage advice and guidance today more than ever before. The parliamentary board decided to reject the resignation of Shri Advani-ji," Rajnath Singh said.

Rajnath Singh, who was accompanied by the leaders of opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, said Advani had resigned from the national executive, parliamentary board and the election committee.

"As party president, I want to make it clear that I will not accept his resignation under any circumstance," Rajnath Singh said.

He said that parliamentary board meeting was attended by six members who were present in capital.

Singh said that other members of the parliamentary board, including Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and former BKP president Nitin Gadkari, had spoken to Advani and urged him to withdraw his resignation.