In a fresh glimpse into the factionalism brewing within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gadhada Taluka Committee President Prakash Sankariya has been asked to resign from his party post by state leadership &mdash; with no official explanation given. However, Sankariya claims he&rsquo;s being targeted for extending birthday wishes to Sanjay Joshi, a veteran RSS pracharak and former General Secretary (Organisation) of Gujarat, known for his historic rivalry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Speaking exclusively to&nbsp;Benefit News, Sankariya said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not the only one from Gujarat who wished Sanjay Joshi on his birthday. Many leaders and party workers have publicly extended wishes, some even wrote articles and blogs in his praise. But only I&rsquo;m being singled out.&rdquo;
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He added defiantly, &ldquo;I will not resign. I&rsquo;ve not committed any anti-party activity. Sanjay Joshi is a respected RSS man. Wishing him on his birthday isn&rsquo;t a crime.&rdquo;
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To dig deeper into the move,&nbsp;Benefit News&nbsp;reached out to Mayur Patel, President of BJP&rsquo;s Botad District Committee, who confirmed the directive. &ldquo;State leaders instructed me to seek Sankariya&rsquo;s resignation. No reason was provided, but there must be something known to the leadership,&rdquo; Patel said. However, when questioned directly if Sankariya had ever acted against party interests, Patel had no substantial answer.
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While this may appear to be a minor episode, it points to a much larger undercurrent. Reports from Delhi and Nagpur suggest a renewed power tussle between the BJP&rsquo;s central leadership and the RSS top brass, especially around key organizational appointments. Whispers in political circles indicate that the RSS is pushing for Sanjay Joshi to be named the BJP&rsquo;s National President &mdash; a proposal facing stiff resistance from those loyal to Prime Minister Modi, given the long-standing personal rivalry between the two pracharaks.
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The feud dates back decades, with Joshi being unceremoniously sidelined and even targeted during the BJP National Executive Meeting in Mumbai in the early 2000s via a controversial CD, allegedly aimed at tarnishing his image. Despite years in political exile, Joshi retains a loyal following within the party, many of whom quietly wish for his return to prominence.
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This latest episode in Gujarat reflects that the internal battle lines remain drawn &mdash; and the shadow of Sanjay Joshi still looms large over BJP&rsquo;s internal politics
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RSS Pracharak Sanjay Joshi, BJP former President Rajendrasinh Rana and Gadhda BJP Leader Prakash Sankariya

Factional rift in Gujarat BJP reignites over birthday wish to RSS man Sanjay Joshi

BJP Leader Targeted for Wishing Sanjay Joshi

Factional rift in Gujarat BJP reignites over birthday wish to RSS man Sanjay Joshi

April 11, 2025 | 11:42 IST