The BJP on Saturday said it was unaffected by the resignation of former Chief Minister Suresh Mehta from the primary membership of the party.
His (Mehta) actions in the last few months had made quite clear that he was not with the BJP, a senior party leader said.
Man se maan liya tha woh hamare saath nahi hain (we had already accepted that he was not with us). His resignation was just a formality. It would be accepted when it reaches the party," BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley, told reporters here when his reaction was sought on the quitting of the veteran leader from the party.
Mehta, a soft-spoken leader, who took over as Chief Minister from Keshubhai Patel in 1995 following a rebellion by Shankarsinh Vaghela, quit the BJP in protest against its top brass "surrendering" before the whims and fancies of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
On the charges levelled by Mehta against Modi and L K Advani that they have destructed the internal democracy in the party, Jaitley said, "the fact that we had tolerated such an indisciplined person so long shows democracy within the BJP was functioning".