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Bhandari agrees to stay on as Bihar governor

Bowing to the wishes of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sunder Singh Bhandari today agreed to continue as Bihar governor, thus saving the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government a major embarrassment.

Bhandari, who held talks with the prime minister last night and spoke to Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani this morning, later attended the National Development Council meeting.

The governor, who had come to the capital with bag and baggage feeling upset over the home minister's controversial statement that Bihar would be provided with an apolitical administration, intended to relinquish his office to lodge his protest against Advani's remark.

The home minister conveyed to Bhandari that it was the wish of the Centre that he should continue as the governor of the state. This made Bhandari relent.

Vajpayee also persuaded the governor not to press for his resignation and continue to head the administration of the state, now under central rule.

The issue was sorted out in the morning after Advani spoke to Bhandari.

Later, Advani admitted that his reference to the possibility of an apolitical administration during President's rule in the state had created an ''unfortunate misunderstanding''.

''My statement has no relation whatsoever to the able and administrative competence of Bhandariji, who is one of the ablest administrators of the country and is held in high esteem for his integrity and simplicity,'' he said and added that the issue has been sorted out.

The prime minister also requested Bhandari to represent Bihar at the NDC meeting and accordingly, he later attended the meeting.

Senior BJP leaders also urged Bhandari not to proceed with his resignation. They made serious efforts to mollify the governor, who arrived in the capital yesterday morning by the Rajdhani Express.

Bhandari had made no efforts to hide his anguish at the government's handling of the issue. Soon after arrival at the capital, he had gone directly to the Kalkaji Road residence of former Delhi minister Poornima Sethi instead of checking into Bihar Niwas.

UNI

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