New Delhi, Aug. 23 : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L. K. Advani''s close aide, Sudheendra Kulkarni, on Sunday announced that he was quitting the party because of ideological differences with it.

Kulkarni, who has been with the BJP for 13 years as a party activist and political advisor, said: "I have ideological differences with the party, especially where it stands today. I have been a full time activist of the party, I am now ending my activist association with the party."

Kulkarni also said that his decision had nothing to do with Jaswant Singh''s expulsion and that he still holds Advani and Vajpayee in high regard.

He also went on to say that he would remain a well wisher of the BJP even if he is not contributing towards the party goals.

During his stint with the BJP, he worked as a close aide of former Prime Minister Vajpayee and then led the entire L K Advani''s 2009 campaign machinery.

In 2005, Kulkarni had stepped down as an office-bearer of the party over a controversy generated by Advani''s quotes on Jinnah.

He had then sent a letter to Advani calling for “recasting” the RSS-BJP relationship, distancing the party from extremist elements and solving the "organisational disarray". (ANI)