Yashwant Sinha threatens to quit Lok Sabha seat

Fissures within the Bharatiya Janata Party over appointment of office-bearers apparently came to the fore on Monday when senior leader Yashwant Sinha is understood to have expressed his unhappiness over naming of the new Jharkhand unit chief to the top brass and threatened to quit his Lok Sabha seat.

Sinha, who is known to express his views strongly and vociferously, told top party leaders at a meeting in Parliament House on Monday that he is not pleased with the appointment of Ravindra Rai as Jharkhand's BJP chief, sources said.

Rai, who belongs to the camp of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda's, was appointed Sunday by party president Rajnath Singh.

Sinha's name was doing the rounds among the probables for the post in the last few days.

Party sources said Sinha, who is considered close to senior BJP leader L K Advani, reportedly told him, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and other top leaders that he may resign from his parliamentary seat if Rai is not removed and a consensus candidate chosen.

About two years back Advani had proposed Sinha's name for the post of Jharkhand chief minister but was over-ruled by then president Nitin Gadkari in favour of Munda.

Munda is close to Rajnath Singh and this apparently tilted the party high command in favour of Rai.

Jharkhand is under President's Rule and polls are likely to be held within six months there. A divided BJP may spoil its electoral prospects.