Jaswant set to return to BJP

NEW DELHI: Former union minister Jaswant Singh appears set to return to the BJP, nine months after he was summarily expelled for praising Pakistan founder M A Jinnah in his book.

BJP sources said that party leadership is working out a formula for his return and a decision could be made any time.

BJP President Nitin Gadkari met Jaswant here last week before leaving for the party national executive in Patna to discuss his entry into the party. Jaswant is believed to have expressed the wish that he would like to rejoin the party in the presence of the top brass.

However, the BJP's top leadership decided to hold the national executive and then deal with the issue.

Sources said he may join the party in a day-or-two They felt that delaying it will serve no purpose as both Jaswant and the BJP leadership are in agreement on the issue.

When asked when Jaswant will join the BJP, party general secretary Ananth Kumar said, "When a final decision is taken our party president will present himself before the media."

Speculation about his re-entry into BJP have been rife since he sent overtures to BJP Parliamentary Party Chief L K Advani. Sources said the two have been in touch over phone and have even met a few times in the last nine months.

The two had even travelled together in a chartered plane to Jaipur to attend the funeral of former vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.