Sanjay Joshi quits BJP national executive, Modi to attend meeting

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Senior BJP leader Sanjay Joshi, known as Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's bete noire, on Thursday resigned from the party's national executive. Mr Modi would now be attending the national executive meeting, party president Nitin Gadkari said.

Joshi quit "on his own so that there are no differences within the party over his presence", Gadkari told reporters ahead of the two-day national executive meeting beginning on Thursday.

Gadkari said he had spoken to Modi, who had left Ahmedabad for Mumbai to attend the meeting.

"Modi has assured me that he is ready to work shoulder-to-shoulder with me in strengthening the party and the nation. I welcome him to the national executive," he said.

Gadkari expressed happiness that the controversy plaguing the party in this regard has ended.

Party sources said Joshi offered to resign after Modi reportedly said he would not attend the two-day meeting due to Joshi's inclusion in the national executive.

Modi had kept away from the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections as Joshi was given a key post in managing the campaigning for the party.

Joshi had to resign from the post of party general secretary in 2005 after a clip of him showing in a compromising position with a woman was circulated.

Gadkari later reinstated Joshi in the party, a move that caused a rift between the party President and Modi.