Murli Manohar Joshi meets RSS chief for second time

Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Saturday night met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, hours after the two held a lunch meeting.

Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Saturday night met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, hours after the two held a lunch meeting.

HT Image

Joshi's second meeting with Bhagwat came shortly after his bete noire and senior BJP leader LK Advani called on the Sangh chief.

The two meetings between Bhagwat and Joshi came at a time when BJP is plagued with bitter infighting and a virtual war of succession among its second rung leaders.

Bhagwat had earlier in the day gone to Joshi's house for a luncheon meeting.

Joshi, a former party president who is considered close to Bhagwat and RSS, had hinted soon after BJP's drubbing in Lok Sabha polls that Advani should not become Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

He had then suggested that Advani could replace Atal Bihari Vajpayee as NDA chairperson and walk into virtual retirement.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders Balbir Punj and Ravi Shankar Prasad, along with Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra, considered close to the party, met Bhagwat this evening.