The Bharatiya Janata Party may not take any disciplinary action against Union Minister for Rural Development Shanta Kumar for his anti-party utterings in the immediate aftermath of the BJP's defeat in Himachal Pradesh assembly election in February.

This was�indicated by a senior leader of the party in New Delhi on Saturday�in an informal conversation with rediff.com.

"Shanta Kumar has already met Prime Minister Atal�Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishanchand Advani and given his�explanation," the BJP leader said.

Kumar was served a show-cause notice by party general�secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on the directive of the party�president Venkaiah Naidu after he blamed Prem Kumar Dhumal government's poor performance for the party's poll debacle in Himachal.

"We have not set any time limit for [Kumar] to give an explanation," Naqvi told rediff.com over the phone from Hyderabad.

Another senior party leader, J P Mathur, said that the issue was as good as dead now as Kumar had given his explanation to the prime�minister Vajpayee and the deputy prime minister.

A senior party functionary said Kumar was sought to be made a scapegoat by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who had campaigned extensively in Himachal. "Prem Kumar Dhumal was�Modi's choice in Himachal. Also, he [Modi]had a score to settle because Kumar had demand his resignation after the communal trouble in Gujarat," he added.

When contacted, Shanta Kumar said the matter was likely to be resolved amicably.� "I have told Vajpayeeji and Advaniji what I� had to tell them. I have nothing to tell to the media. I hope the�matter would be sorted out soon," he said.

The party has appointed Pramod Mahajan, general secretary in-charge�of Himachal Pradesh, to go into the causes of� the party's�defeat in the assembly polls. Mahajan was not available for comment.