'Sanyasin' heads for the Himalayas - The Times of India

'Sanyasin' heads for the Himalayas - The Times of India

'Sanyasin' heads for the Himalayas

MOHUA CHATTERJEE
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2004 12:14:10 AM ]

NEW DELHI: Over with her campaign tour of Maharashtra, BJP leader Uma Bharati on Tuesday night packed her bags and left for a vacation in the Himalayas.

The sanyasin is taking time off political activity, with the party's permission this time. She has also promised of returning by November end and taking up any responsibility that the party assigns her.

Having left by a night train, Bharati will travel across Uttaranchal. Her first destination will be Madmaheshwar, beyond Badrinath. She will reach the place after a three-day trek. The itinerary for the rest of the trip has not yet been planned.

Before leaving for the Himalayan vacation, for which apparently she has been longing since her childhood, Bharati met the party's top leadership at former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence on Tuesday evening. Apart from Vajpayee, leader of Opposition L K Advani and BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu were present at the meeting.

It was decided at the meeting that she will be assigned specific responsibility on her return in keeping with her preferences, sources said.

"Even her interests in Madhya Pradesh will be kept in mind while deciding on what role she will be asked to take," sources close to Bharati said.