Vajpayee won146;t lead the Opp

However, sources said that Vajpayee will not go into semi-retirement like former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao or V P Singh but will be in 8216;8216;active politics.8217;8217; Yet he does not want a role where he is involved in actively attacking the ruling Congress-led coalition but someone who gives broad strategic directions to the BJP.

Sources said Vajpayee8217;s silence over the campaign against Sonia Gandhi8217;s 8216;8216;foreign origin8217;8217; is an indication of his preference to avoid making any direct political statements. He is said to have disapproved of the posturing done by Sushma Swaraj and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharati. However, sources said, he left it to Advani to tackle the issue but the latter also adopted a policy of 8216;8216;wait and watch8217;8217; rather than intervention.

It is learnt that Vajpayee feels that Uma, Sushma and other BJP leaders went overboard on the 8216;8216;foreigner issue.8217;8217;

Political circles are also abuzz with the fact that neither did Vajpayee call and congratulate Sonia Gandhi on being elected as Congress8217;s PM candidate on May 15 nor did Gandhi call him. But a senior party leader defended this move: 8216;8216;How could Vajpayee have greeted her even before she became the PM? He will, obviously, congratulate Manmohan Singh after the swearing-in ceremony.8217;8217; Vajpayee has plans to stay at 7 Race Course Road for another month as his 8, Krishna Menon Marg residence is being done up. After all, Vajpayee moved to Race Course Road on May 11, 19988212;the first Pokhran nuclear tests8212;after being sworn in on March 19, 1998.