Koshiyari agrees to hold resignation

The BJP was spared another crisis on Thursday with B S Koshiyari,who had on Wednesday threatened to quit from the Rajya Sabha to force a change in guard in Uttarakhand,agreeing to take back his resignation. Meanwhile,the BJP in Uttarakhand issued show-cause notices to 21 leaders who supported Koshiyari.

The former Uttarakhand CM had a change of heart after a meeting with party president Rajnath Singh,general secretary Ram Lal,vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and general secretary Vijay Goel. We had an hour-and-a-half-long meeting,following which Koshiyari agreed to take back his resignation. He was told that he need not quit the Rajya Sabha to serve the party,to which he agreed, Naqvi said.

Koshiyari,on his part,said,There are still more than eight hours to go before I meet the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. I will take a final call after thinking over the issue.

Considered close to party president Rajnath Singh,Koshiyari had been leading the anti-B C Khanduri camp in Uttarakhand,and had staked claim to the CM position.

In Uttarakhand,meanwhile,leaders who have been issued show cause notices include Gajraj Singh Bisht who resigned as chief of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha,in-charge of Pithoragarh city unit Rajendra Rawat and state working committee member Rajesh Shukla.