Munde summoned to Delhi, reaching here late tonight

New Delhi, Apr 21 (UNI) The BJP leadership has summoned its general secretary and Maharashtra stalwart Gopinath Munde who offered to resign from party posts late last night, apparently not happy with the party's state leadership.

Sources here said this evening that Mr Munde, who initially showed reluctance to come to Delhi, finally agreed to come here to clarify his position. He is expected here late tonight.

BJP State unit President Nitin Gadkari who was also summoned had already reached here alongwith some of senior BJP leaders from Maharashtra including Mr Ram Naik. But Mr Munde had stayed back.

Senior BJP leaders, who met here this evening, decided to send another summons to Mr Munde to meet them to sort out the matter. The meeting was held in the office of the Leader of the Opposition L K Advani and attended among others by party President Rajnath Singh, Mr M Venkaiah Naidu, senior Vice President Babasaheb Apte, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh and Deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj.

The party is, however, maintaining a tight lip regarding Mr Munde's resignation and infighting in the Maharashtra unit of the party. Mr Munde is understood to have been feeling marginalised in the party in the state and in some quarters has expressed his unhappiness over the style of functioning of Mr Gadkari.

UNI KAS RP HT2009