No confirmation of Natwar joining BJP

The top brass of Bharatiya Janata Party refused to confirm or deny whether former external affairs minister Natwar Singh is joining the party or not. Natwar resigned from the Congress party at a public rally of Jats organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Jaipur.

The morning papers had carried stories based on a conversation with Gopinath Munde, BJP in charge of Rajasthan, that Natwar may join the party.

According to sources, Najma Heptullah, member of Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, had played a major role in facilitating the change in Natwar's mind who used the BJP rally to announce his resignation.

But there is stiff resistance in the party from certain quarters who do not want a situation like the one at the introduction of D P Yadav in the party. "How many seats can he bring for the party?" asked a senior leader.

But others feel that if Natwar is to play his politics in Rajasthan, then he has to join the BJP if he cannot remain in the Congress party.

The BJP senior leadership may have been sounded before talking to Natwar.

"I do not know," said Prakash Javadekar, BJP official spokesman, when asked to give his reaction to the stories on Natwar joining BJP.

Natwar Singh called up rediff.com to deny that CBI was investigating the cases against his son Jagat Singh.

He, however, admitted that the agency had registered preliminary inquiries against Jagat, but the basic case was being investigated by the directorate of revenue intelligence.

When asked what his plan of action was, Natwar replied, "I will sit with you and discuss."