Friday, June 10 2005 17:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: L K Advani today (Jun 10, 2005) decided to withdraw his resignation as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president.

Sources said Advani's decision would be formally announced in the meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board, central office bearers and Chief Ministers of the party-ruled States later this evening.

Advani, who did not attend the Parliamentary Board on Wednesday, is expected to attend the meeting today and announce his decision to withdraw, bowing to the desire of party seniors.

In a move to assuage the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Sangh affiliates, the resolution, expected to be adopted in the evening meeting of the Parliamentary Board, is likely to take a critical view of the two-nation theory propounded by Jinnah and to also hail Advani's visit to Pakistan as "historic" furthering the Indo-Pak peace process initiated by the national Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government.

The resolution would also take into account the "sentiments" of the Sangh parivar which had expressed strong displeasure over Advani quoting Jinnah's remarks in the Pakistan Constituent Assembly on the need for a secular state and his statements on the irrelevance of the "akhand bharat" concept of the Sangh.

Advani's decision came on day four of the crisis that had gripped the party following his decision to resign in the wake of RSS criticism of praise of Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah during his visit to that country.

Hurt by the criticism from Sangh Parivar affiliates like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) which called him a "traitor", Advani, who on his arrival from Pakistan on Monday had favoured a debate on his remarks on Jinnah, preferred to quit the next day.

The resignation sent the party into a tail spin with leaders holding marathon meetings and the Parliamentary Board rejecting his decision. It also asked him to continue to head the party.

But apparently not satisfied with the resolution of the Board on Wednesday that had avoided any reference to his visit to Pakistan or the context in which he had made the remarks, Advani had asked the leaders to come out with an improved draft.