I am in BJP, I will remain in BJP, says Munde

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde, who is sulking over certain decisions of the party leadership, on Tuesday ruled out quitting the party and said he has put across his 'grievances' to the party top brass.

Munde, who met Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi, told mediapersons that reports of his quitting the party were incorrect.

"I am in BJP. I will remain in BJP. News that I am quitting are wrong," he said emerging from his meeting with Swaraj.

In reply to a question, he said that he has put across his as well as the 'grievances' of his supporters across to the party top brass.

On his meeting with Swaraj, he said two days back when he had met the BJP leadership to express his sentiments, the leader of opposition was not present. "I told her what I had said then," he said.

He said it was likely that he may meet other BJP leaders on the issue.

When asked about the solution to the issues raised by him, he said it was upto the leadership to find one.

"He has put his grievances at an appropriate place," Swaraj said.

Asked about his 'meetings' with Congress leaders amid reports that he may join that party, Munde said he has never met Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

He also scoffed at suggestions that he was in touch with Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan amid his talks with BJP leaders.

Sources said while party chief Nitin Gadkari wants to remove Munde's man Pandurang Phundkar and appoint Vinod Thawade in his place as Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad, Munde is not ready to concede this.

Image: Gopinath Munde