The talk in BJP circles is that Modi had threatened to resign from the National Executive if Joshi was retained in the body where he is an invitee member.
Gadkari did not want to give any handle for Modi to stay away from the Mumbai meet, which is expected to pass a resolution seeking a change in BJP constitution giving a consecutive three year term to the party chief, sources said.

After a gap of six years, Joshi, who has been a former party general secretary, was asked by Gadkari to assist the party in the UP assembly polls. In 2005, he was forced to resign following a controversy over a CD purportedly showing him in poor light. 

This decision had not gone down well with Modi who has never seen Joshi eye-to-eye. Modi had all these years stiffly resisted moves to bring back Joshi, who was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak' nominee in the party in the position of general secretary (organisation).

Also read our 10:43 am post: The REAL story behind Sanjay Joshi's resignation