In a bid to consolidate its position for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, and after having welcomed Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti back into the party, the BJP on Wednesday re-inducted another of its former national leader into the party.
In an official announcement, party's spokesperson Jagat Prakash Nadda revealed that former all India general secretary and national executive committee member, Sangh Priya Gautam, has been accepted as the special invitee in the National Executive committee of BJP.
"On the directions of party president Nitin Gadkari, we are pleased to inform that Shri Sangh Priya Gautam has been invited into the national executive of the party," Nadda said on Wednesday.
Now a senior party leader herself, and well in the fore front of campaigning for Bhartiya Janta Party in Uttar Pradesh, Bharti was expelled from the party in the November of 2005 after a public spat with senior party leader L K Advani.
Soon after her expulsion, Gautam was also stripped off the primary membership of the party on the grounds of having indulged in anti-party activities by attending a rally headed by her in New Delhi.
Bharti later founded Bharatiya Janshakti Party on April 30, 2006 in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Gautam had been the working president of Bharatiya Janshakti party, and were until a few months ago toiling with the idea of officially merging with the Bhartiya Janta Party.
However, on Gadkari's insistence, Bharti was taken back into the party in June this year.
Bharti is supposed to have a strong following in the areas of Bundelkhand, Jhansi and Banda. And party president Nitin Gadkari has hinted a few times that Bharti, the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh would now be in-charge of over seeing BJP's operations in UP.
Four of the prominent leaders of the BJP are heading its campaign in UP for the forthcoming state elections next year- Bharti, Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra and Surya Pratap Sahi.
