Lights, camera and faction

Declaring that 8216;8216;Jinnah can in no way be termed a secular man,8217;8217; Joshi said: 8216;8216;I have told the party leaders including Venkaiah Naidu that basic ideology should not be diluted in any resolution that may be adopted.8217;8217;

Even before Joshi aired his differences with Advani in public, efforts by party draftsmen to hammer out a carefully worded compromise resolution that would acknowledge the party8217;s appreciation of his Pakistan visit and at the same time distance itself from the controversies created there proved a difficult excercise, forcing the party to postpone the day8217;s scheduled parliamentary board meeting to Friday evening.

The official reason for the postponement was that deputy leader of the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh8212;currently in Israel8212;would only return to the capital tomorrow and his presence was desirable at the meeting.

With Jaswant Singh being the only leader besides Vajpayee to openly support Advani on the Jinnah issue, the beleaguered BJP president was reportedly keen to have him by his side8212;triggering speculation that the Atal-Advani duo would back Jaswant for the post of party president to counter the possibility of Joshi taking over in the event of a regime change.

Unlike yesterday, when the BJP top brass unanimously asked Advani to take back his resignation, there was a sense of both wariness and weariness with the whole issue today.

Joshi8217;s outburst, sources said, could unleash a spate of similar statements from both Hindutva hardliners in the party such as Uma Bharati as well as from disgruntled elements who have been left out in the cold under the Advani dispensation. Kalyan Singh and Babulal Marandi have already expressed their misgivings about Advani8217;s views and more could follow.

Advani8217;s main grouse ever since he returned from Pakistan has been the failure of his own loyalists to publicly rally round him. Even his closest aide Venkaiah Naidu has limited himself to attacking Pravin Togadia but not come out in the open to either justify Advani8217;s controversial statements or 8216;8216;clarify8217;8217; the 8216;8216;context8217;8217; in which they were made.

In fact, barring Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh, all BJP leaders feel that Advani should make some kind of 8216;8216;amendment8217;8217; or 8216;8216;clarification8217;8217; if not retraction of his remarks not only on Jinnah8217;s secularism but also on his statement that Partition was irrevocable. 8216;8216;If the two Germanys can unite, why should a BJP leader say that Partition can never be reversed. There was no need to make any mention of the issue at all, 8217;8217; an irate BJP insider said. Advani8217;s core team, sources said, was very keen that he continue as president and had hoped that he would accept their 8216;8216;unanimous resolution8217;8217; yesterday. By playing hard to get, Advani only complicated matters and gave enough time to his detractors8212;headed by Joshi8212;to mount a challenge. In view of the fast changing events, Advani will now either have to make something of a climbdown or quit the post, sources said.

If Advani agrees to a resolution that marks a retreat from the positions he took in Pakistan, his detractors will accuse him of doing another flip-flop. In the process, he will lose his recently gained 8216;8216;liberal8217;8217; mantle as well as the support of the party8217;s 8216;8216;core constituency8217;8217; which now looks upon him with suspicion, insiders said.

On the other hand, giving up the post of president under such controversial circumstances would make it difficult for him to continue as Leader Of Opposition. Advani, BJP leaders privately admitted through the day, has a difficult choice to make.