Senior BJP leaders on Friday discussed the need to properly scrutinise antecedents of “new entrants” to the party.
According to sources, BJP party patriarch Advani, leader of Opposition in the lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and former party president M Venkaiah Naidu deliberated the expansion of the BJP, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the ongoing “rush” of several leaders from other parties to join the BJP.
Sources said, the senior leaders discussed the issue of former Union Minister Venod Sharma, who on Wednesday quit the Congress, to join the Kuldeep Bishnoi-led Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), now a part of the NDA.
Serious objections were raised to the proposed induction of Sharma into the NDA fold. The issue is expected to be taken up in the Central Parliamentary Board when it meets on Saturday. Sharma’s son Manu Sharma has been convicted in the Jessica lall murder case.
This apart, the homecoming of BSR Congress leader B Sriramulu was also discussed in the meeting. Sriramulu (known to be a close associate of the Reddy brothers facing charges in the mining scam), announced on Wednesday that his party was merging with the BJP. According to sources, some leaders in the meeting opined that Sriramulu’s case was not as controversial. The discussions lasted for 30 minutes.
Swaraj had on Thursday opposed the BJP’s proposed alliance or merger with the BSR Congress in Karnataka. “I am opposed to the BSR alliance or merger with BJP in Karnataka,” Sushma tweeted.
Swaraj had also opposed the move of Sharma to join the HJC. “I am strongly opposed to this. I have conveyed my views to Kuldeep Bishnoi. I have conveyed to Rajnath Singhji in writing that the BJP must not permit this,” she tweeted.