Jaswant 'misses' BJP

“I spent 32 years (in BJP). How can I get it out of my blood stream? But I do miss the (party) platform,” Singh said in an interview to a private news channel. The Darjeeling MP’s comments came at a time amidst reports of a thaw between him and BJP parliamentary party chairman L K Advani. He had also travelled on the same aircraft as Advani to Jaipur to attend the funeral of former Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat last week.

The remarks immediately triggered rumours of him returning to the BJP fold after being out in the cold for nearly eight months since he was expelled from the party unceremoniously last August. However, BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said there was no such talk of Singh’s return to the party. “He had a very long innings with Bharatiya Janata Party. But as of now I am not aware of any such talks (for his return),” Rudy said.

Singh, who was seen as one of the tallest leader of the BJP along with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani and former HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, was thrown out of the party after being called to a “Chintan Baithak” in Shimla last year.