BJP re-inducts Madan Lal Khurana

New Delhi, Apr 4 : Former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal khurana was re-inducted into the party on Friday after he expressed "regret" for his comments against senior leader L K Advani.

Chairman of the BJP Disciplinary Committee, Ram Naik, said that the party took the decision to induct Khurana after he expressed regret for indulging in anti-party activities.

The re-entry of the 71-year-old veteran Delhi leader assumes significance as it comes ahead of the assembly elections to be held by November.

BJP president Rajnath Singh approved the re-induction of Khurana after days of secret parleys. It is seen as a move to re-energise the party in Delhi as he has considerable following in the Punjabi community of the capital.

The party, however, has made no commitment on giving any post to the former Delhi BJP strongman and discussions in this regard are expected in the next few days.

Khurana refused to give any reaction immediately, saying he would speak on it later.

Khurana, who was also former governor of Rajasthan, had severely criticised Advani in April 2006 over the Kandahar hijack episode and asserted that he could not work with him.

He had taken objection to Advani's remarks that he had differed with the decision to release terrorists during the hijack crisis.

Khurana had remarked that Advani's comments were aimed at showing himself as a "hero" and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as "zero".

Interestingly, his re-entry comes at a time when the ghost of Kandahar has returned to haunt the BJP and Advani.

ANI