BJP stalemate ends as Advani retracts resignation

Sulking BJP patriarch L K Advani ended a two-day stance against Narendra Modi's elevation as the party's chief election campaigner for the 2014 general elections and agreed today not to press his resignation from key party positions in a truce brokered by the RSS.

The octogenarian leader who on Monday announced his resignation from BJP's parliamentary board, election committee and national executive, was not present at the brief press conference announcing the withdrawal of his resignation.

Addressing a brief media conference in New Delhi, BJP president Rajnath Singh said, ''Advaniji has agreed to abide by the party's decision and has taken back his resignation.''

He said he as party president has given an undertaking to address Advani's concerns about the functioning of the party. There will, however, be no change in decision to elevate Narendra Modi, Singh said.

"The president will discuss the modalities of addressing these concerns with Shri Advani," Singh said without elaborating.

Rajnath was flanked by Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Uma Bharti and Shahnawaz Hussain among others.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi who was the immediate cause of Advani's resignation move also tweeted: ''I welcome Advaniji's decision.''

Advani, who resigned yesterday from all positions in the BJP, a day after Narendra Modi was appointed head of the party's election campaign committee, also did not attend the party's three-day conclave in Goa where Modi was anointed party's poll panel head.

Meanwhile, the Congress party that backed Advani in the hope of a split in the NDA and the BJP today changed its stance and said the whole thing was an internal matter of the BJP and that they have nothing to say on the issue.