New Delhi: "I have sent my resignation. I am happy it has been accepted and have no further comments," said Yashwant Sinha a day after his letter bomb triggered waves in the BJP.
The BJP's latest rebel may be holding his peace for now. But party president Rajnath Singh's gag order isn't bringing peace even as the BJP's national executive meets next weekend.
The clamour for action is rising. Many of the BJP's Uttarakhand MLAs are in Delhi, demanding Chief Minister B C Khanduri's removal. They hold him responsible for losing all five Parliament seats.
But the party is denying any trouble.
Says BJP state president B S Rawat: "These are rumors, there are no reasons for any kind of dissent."
Uttarakhand is a tiny state but a big example of how the BJP seems to have adopted a conspiracy of silence.
The chief minister sent his resignation right after the defeat. But the party president did nothing. For holding a BJP leader responsible in one state would have forced him and other top leaders to accept blame for the BJP's defeat.
So by that logic:
- Rajnath didn't act against rebels, Jaswant, Yashwant, Kulkarni
- Hasn't accept resignations from Rajasthan and Haryana unit chiefs
Those who benefitted by being appointed to posts after the loss say the worst is over.
Says Sushma Swaraj, the BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha: "Instead of speaking to media, people should speak in an appropriate platform. I think this matter has ended and there is nothing to speak of."
Now the party waits for the national executive on the 20th and the 21st where a clash for control of the party is expected even as ordinary workers continue to wait for a roadmap for the future.