Former Union minister V.C. Shukla today resigned from the BJP and claimed his decision to join the BJP was the ‘‘biggest mistake’’ of his life and said he would apologise to the people for the move.But in his resignation faxed to BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu, Shukla thanked BJP leaders for being ‘‘courteous and kind’’ to him during his days in the saffron party. Shukla, who contested on the BJP ticket from Mahasamund LS constituency against arch rival Ajit Jogi, has already offered to patch up with Jogi, whom he met in Delhi a week ago. That was perhaps because Shukla knows that if there could be any opposition to his Congress re-entry, it could only be from Jogi. Back in Raipur, Jogi said it’s upto Shukla to decide his course.AICC treasurer Motilal Vora added: ‘‘Shukla had already met AICC general secretary Salman Khurshid, me and other leaders including Ahmed Patel to convey his decision to quit the BJP. He is keen to join the Congress but for that he has to apply to Sonia Gandhi. Now, we know he has resigned from BJP, let him come to us.’’In a statement, Shukla said: ‘‘I know the inner contradictions within me before I joined the BJP. But my interest was to develop the state. Now I realise it was a mistake to join BJP.’’ Shukla’s move has not surprised the BJP. ‘‘It is known of him. So we did not stop him from quitting,’’ said BJP spokesperson Saroj Pandey.
