Corporate warfare was at the heart of former telecom and IT minister Pramod Mahajan's 'repatriation' to the party.

Mahajan submitted his resignation on Wednesday, bringing an end to a chapter that had been unfolding slowly for the past several weeks.

Mahajan has made no bones about his admiration for a corporate house that has telecommunications interests and has never been apologetic about his affiliations.

However, when in the midst of a connectivity war unleashed by Mahanagar Telephone Nigam  Ltd, mobile connectivity was affected, several cellular operators got together to protest.

Among those contacted by them was the prime minister's office, the deputy prime minister's secretariat and several party leaders.

Their complaint was that as a minister, Mahajan was serving the interests of some newcomers into the field to the detriment of those already in operation.

When confronted by this charge Mahajan denied this vociferously. However, this was the first indication he is reported to have got that that his portfolio might be changed.

But, even Mahajan did not expect that he would be asked to go back to the party.

The request was obliquely worded: that the requirements of the party had been reassessed and those who had worked  hard in the Gujarat elections were to be rewarded.

This naturally meant the team that had made the Gujarat victory possible -- led by party general secretary Arun Jaitely -- was to be reinducted in the government. As the party would then be one general secretary short, a minister had to be sent back to the party.

The stage was therefore set for Mahajan's removal. Now, Mahajan tried to do some damage control.

Responding to reports that Jaitely was to take charge of telecom, it was pointed out that a lawyer who had once represented telecom operators could not be allowed to run the ministry.

Party elders are reported to have taken note of this point. But there was another problem here.

After leaving the government as minister of law and justice, Jaitely could not realistically be expected to return to the office he had vacated earlier.

Therefore, after a great deal of chopping and changing, Jaitely's portfolio was beefed up.

Having made his point, Mahajan is now returning to the party in the firm belief that he will be able to make the best of a bad bargain.