Friday, December 24 2004 15:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: More than a month after she openly challenged his authority, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president L K Advani today (Dec 24, 2005) revoked suspension of firebrand leader Uma Bharti, capping days of drama of her regret and a reported attack on the second rung leaders.

"BJP president L K Advani has decided to lift the suspension on Uma Bharti," former party president M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters in New Delhi.

He, however, replied in the negative when asked whether she would get back the post of general secretary, to which she was appointed only a few days before she stormed out of the party office bearers' meeting on November 10 demanding action against "leaders without base".

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, who had attacked leaders like Naidu, Pramod Mahajan, Arun Jaitley and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, shocked the top leadership including Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee by her show of defiance in full glare of TV cameras. The decision to suspend her was instant, taken minutes after her walkout from the meeting.

The decision to revoke Bharti's suspension came days after the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister wrote an emotional letter to Advani and senior party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee and held a series of meetings with them.

In one of the letters, she said she was willing to apologise if the party also did so.

Several people close to the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) also mediated to ensure Bharti's return to the party-fold which bore fruit.

Significantly, the suspension was set to be revoked almost two weeks back but opposition by a section of the party forced postponement of the decision.

The decision was opposed after a letter, purported to have been written by Bharti and levelling allegations against many party leaders, was leaked out.