By IANS,
New Delhi : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj Monday met expelled leader Jaswant Singh at his residence here amid speculations that the party was considering to take him back.
Party sources, however, disclosed that the meeting between Sushma Swaraj and Singh was not about reinstating the senior leader “at the moment”, but the exercise was more to assuage the former external affairs minister in the wake of the crisis that has erupted in the party after his expulsion.
“Swaraj went to meet him (Jaswant Singh) basically to console the leader who has served the party for 30 years and nothing less than a personal meeting would have served the purpose,” sources told IANS.
However, the sources claimed that there was no discussion about taking the sacked leader back in the party.
Sources close to Jaswant Singh said Swaraj, the deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, had sought an appointment in the morning, but refused to divulge details of their meeting.
Jaswant Singh, 71, was expelled from the party Aug 19, two days after the launch of his book ‘Jinnah: India – Partition – Independence’ that eulogised Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Since his expulsion, the party has been witnessing serious strife with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat summoning BJP leaders at different levels for one-on-one discussion on a change of guard — virtually taking charge of the crisis-ridden party.