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Mehta refuses to withdraw resignation

Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Bombay

Gujarat Industry Minister Suresh Mehta refused to withdraw his resignation even as senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders stepped up their efforts to defuse the crisis.

"Though the minister has decided to continue in his post for the present, he will take a final decision after meeting the party's central leadership," a source close to Mehta said late on Tuesday night, denying reports that the minister has withdrawn his resignation. However, another source said Mehta has ''more or less withdrawn his resignation''

Earlier in the day, Union Textile Minister and senior BJP leader from Gujarat Kashiram Rana and BJP vice-president K L Sharma met Mehta for about 90 minutes. However, considering Mehta's adamant stand against continuing in office, they decided to meet him again in the evening.

"This time they managed to convince him to continue in office,'' sources said. ''However, a final decision on the withdrawal of the resignation would be taken after Mehta meets Home Minister Lal Kishinchand Advani or Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," sources said.

Confirming this to the media, Mehta said the party leadership had ''commanded him to continue with his responsibilities''.

In another development, Gujarat BJP chief Rajendrasinh Rana admitted that the incident had 'adversely affected' the party.

Asked if any disciplinary measures would be taken against Mehta, he said, "It is too early to say anything, but we will all sit together and decide." He said efforts were being made to ensure that the issues are resolved amicably.

However, Sharma later told the media that the incident had, in no way, affected the party's image. He said since the chief minister had not accepted Mehta's resignation, ''we told the latter that we would take the necessary steps and that nothing will be done outside party fora. The chapter (of the resignation) is closed.''

According to Sharma, Mehta had also accepted the party leadership's directive.

The chief minister, he said, had already taken certain steps to maintain the law and order situation, ordered the police to arrest the culprits in the Bawji Jadeja murder case, which sparked off Mehta's resignation.

The BJP vice-president pointed out that Mehta had, from the very beginning, made it clear that he did not want to weaken the party. ''We are able to solve our problems and will not allow others to sermonise us,'' he remarked, without elaborating.

Rana told the media there was ''no scope for a change in the chief ministership''.

Asked whether Mehta would attend the office tomorrow, Sharma said, ''We will see it tomorrow.''

All through the media briefing, Sharma faced a volley of questions about whether Mehta had, indeed, withdrawn his resignation and, if so, why he was not clarifying the issue.

Finally, taking the microphone from Sharma, Mehta said he would ''continue as industry minister''. But he did not specify as to whether he had withdrawn his resignation, merely saying, ''I have said whatever I wanted to say.''

However, Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel's supporters were confident of ending the crisis. "There is no other option for Mehta but to withdraw his resignation as he does not have cadre support like former chief minister Shankarsinh Vahgela," said a source close to Patel.

Patel's supporters are also banking on the fact that Mehta's native Kutch district has few BJP MLAs and hence he could not pull many party MLAs into his fold.

They feel the party's central leadership has not taken a serious note of the crisis, considering that no big central leader has come to meet the aggrieved minister.

"Even Sharma has not come to meet Mehta. He was scheduled to visit Gandhinagar any way," said the source close to Patel.

Interestingly, the BJP central leadership has done little to fill the vacuum after its general secretary Narendra Modi and Rana -- two leaders with considerable clout in state politics -- were moved out. While Modi is in charge of the BJP in Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Rana seems to have little time for the hurly burly of politics after becoming textile minister.

"There is nobody to hear our grievances from the central leadership and Keshubhai is least interested in consulting Mehta in day to day affairs," said the source close to Mehta.

Additional reportage: UNI

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