The decision of veteran BJP leader lK Advani on Monday to resign from party’s all posts, came as a shocker for leaders in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh with most of the leaders terming it ‘highly unfortunate’.
Except State BJP president Ramsevak Paikra who released a brief statement over stalemate, majority of senior State level leaders refused to offer any comment ‘on the record’. But in private talks with media persons, they admitted it ‘a great sudden crisis which could have serious repercussions in the State which goes to polls by November’.
In his statement, Paikra said, “I am hopeful that Advaniji would take back his resignations in the larger interests of the party.”
“He (Advani) is the senior most leader in the BJP and guardian of all of us; I am sure the central leadership of the party would be able to persuade him to take back resignations, I am also sure the party would be able to get over the present crisis soon,’’ the Chhattisgarh unit chief of the BJP said.
The district unit chiefs of the BJP and State executive body members admitted that they were shocked by the move taken by the veteran leader.
“It’s a crisis time, the party cadres never thought such a stunning decision by Advaniji, he was always a source of inspiration for lakhs of party cadres, now we pray that crisis would be over soon; otherwise it has potential to damage party’s poll prospects in assembly polls due later this year in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Chhattisgarh,’’ a senior BJP leader told The Pioneer requesting his name be withheld.