Munde resigns, alleges lack of democracy in BJP

Aurangabad, Apr 20 (UNI) In a major development, BJP General Secretary Gopinath Munde today resigned from all organisational posts of the party, alleging ''lack of democracy in the party.'' ''The BJP has become the personal domain of a few party leaders and I am not happy with it's way of decision making'', Mr Munde told reporters here.

He was apparently upset over the appointment of Madhu Chavan as the president of Mumbai unit by the BJP'S central leadership and dashed off his resignation letter to BJP suipremo Rajnath Singh.

Mr Chavan's name was cleared by the Party high command after the Party's three - member committee, comprising Ram Naik, Vedprakash Goel and Balasaheb Apte, had elicited opinion from the Mumbai party workers and submitted a report to the national leadership, party sources said, adding Mr Munde had been consulted on Mr Chavan's appointment.

''I will henceforth function as an ordinary party worker'', Mr Munde said.

He claimed that several state party functionaries, including unit office-bearers, have also resigned.

The BJP sources in Mumbai admitted that Mr Munde's relations with the state party president Nitin Gadkari had been strained for some time. However, they were confident that the differences would be sorted out.

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