Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Madan Lal Khurana tendered an unconditional apology to party President L K Advani on Monday, paving the way for his return to the party-fold and resolution of the crisis triggered by the action against him.
Khurana sent the apology letter to Advani through party General Secretary Pramod Mahajan, party sources said.
The development came after senior party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee specifically told him to apologise if he wanted to return.
Vajpayee, who had sparked off a crisis in the saffron party by publicly criticising Advani's decision to expel Khurana, is believed to have conveyed to the Delhi strongman at their meeting in New Delhi on Monday morning that there cannot be any "compromise with discipline" and he will have to make amends if the party is to reconsider the action against him, party sources said.
Khurana meets Vajpayee, patch-up possible
The former prime minister is also understood to have counselled Khurana to stop airing his views and grievances through the media, they added.
Expelled Khurana speaks out against Advani
Khurana, who was suspended on August 20 and expelled on September 7 for criticising Advani's leadership, had attacked the party's "emerging leadership" on Saturday for "attempting to displace the old guard".
I never wanted Advani to quit: Khurana
After receiving the formal expulsion order, he had on Sunday charged a section of the party leadership with "conspiring" against him.
An apparently sullen Khurana did not speak to waiting mediapersons after his 40-minute meeting with Vajpayee on Monday.
Sources said while Vajpayee continued to believe that Khurana should be given one more opportunity to explain his stand, that was subject to his tendering an apology for making public statements against Advani.
Senior party leaders Jaswant Singh and M Venkaiah Naidu also met Advani earlier in the day as part of efforts to find a solution to the crisis in the party.
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