Thursday, November 17 2005 18:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief K S Sudarshan yesterday (Nov 16, 2005) held a one-to-one meeting with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is understood to have discussed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) affairs, including the issue of finding a successor to L K Advani who demits office next month.

The meeting at Vajpayee's residence lasted for over two hours, sources said.

Vajpayee-Sudarshan meeting took place even as party General Secretary (Organisation) and Vice-President Bal Apte held separate talks with the Sangh top brass, including General Secretary Mohan Bhagwat and Joint General Secretary Suresh Soni on the one hand and Advani on the other.

The Sangh began 'preliminary discussions' on Advani's successor on Tuesday (Nov 15, 2005) beginning with a meeting between party Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and senior Sangh leaders.

Officially, however, both RSS and BJP leaders maintain all the meetings so far were 'courtesy calls.'