New Delhi:
Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, sulking over some decisions taken in his own state Maharashtra, on Saturday held discussions with senior party leaders M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar but party President Nitin Gadkari stayed away from the exercise.
Gadkari, who also hails from Maharashtra and with whom Munde is said to have strong differences, may meet the disgruntled leader in a bid to sort out the issues raised by the latter.
Gadkari was scheduled to attend the meeting of the central leadership with Munde. While senior leaders L K Advani, Naidu and Kumar were in the national capital, Gadkari was away in Dehradun holding a meeting with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and state ministers.
After a two-and-half-hour meeting with Naidu and Kumar, Munde indicated the differences had not been sorted out yet.
"The meetings with senior party leaders will continue on Sunday," he said.
Naidu, however, appeared hopeful that the differences will be sorted out by Sunday.
"We have held positive and healthy talks with our senior BJP leader from Maharashtra Gopinath Munde. We are hopeful of an amicable solution after meetings with senior BJP leaders Gadkari and Advani," Naidu said.
Leader of the Opposition in Mahaharashtra Eknath Khadse and his counterpart in Legislative Council Pandurang Phundkar were also present in the meeting.
"Although Munde has no personal problems, the grievances aired by him are those of party workers in the state," Naidu said, adding "Gopinath ji is our senior party leader and we do not wish that he nurtures any pain. We will sort out everything by Sunday".
Munde, a prominent OBC leader from Maharashtra, is said to be upset since his supporter Yogesh Gogawale was sidelined for the post of Pune BJP president and Gadkari loyalist Vikas Mathkari was appointed instead.
Munde, BJP's Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, has been conveying his unhappiness by skipping some party meetings and other programmes in the state recently.
Asked whether there was a possibility of him leaving the BJP, Munde said "there is no reason for asking this question."
Earlier, when Munde arrived in Delhi on Saturday morning, he said he would meet the party top brass and apprise them of the grievances of party workers. He was confident that his demands will be looked into.
"I will put forth the feelings and grievances of party workers from Maharashtra before the central leadership," said Munde. "I hope justice will be done," he added.