Sangh keeps guns trained on Advani

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief KS Sudarshan's remarks that politics changes "as often as a prostitute changes her clothes" reflected the organisation's frustration with the way Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President LK Advani's resignation drama turned out, sources said.

According to sources, the RSS had been assured by a significant number of the BJP's second rung leaders that the party would accept Advani's resignation after his remarks on Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

"There would be a formal rejection of the resignation by the central parliamentary board and then later it would be accepted," a senior party leader had said.

Sources in the RSS confirm that the organisation is determined to get Advani out, especially before the Bihar polls. Advani, who claims that the Bihar polls will "change the course of the nation's politics" is hoping for an NDA victory in the state, which will validate the direction in which he wants to lead the party.

"The RSS, however, wants him out by the time the BJP national executive meets in Tamil Nadu next month," said a source in the RSS.

In fact, Advani withdrawing his resignation as BJP president has changed several equations within the party as well, with certain members of what was Advani's coterie till some time ago may now find themselves out of it. These include BJP Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and General Secretary Sushma Swaraj.

It was apparently the closing of the ranks of the old guard in the BJP, along with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Janata Dal (U) leaders Nitish Kumar and George Fernandes, that saw Advani withdrawing his resignation.

According to top sources in the party, Modi convinced Arun Jaitley and Advani himself that to resign would tantamount to allowing the "likes of Praveen Togadia to write confidential reports on all BJP leaders". He cautioned that Advani's exit would let loose the loony fringe in the party.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat also spoke to Advani, as well as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to prevent him "from acting emotionally." Former Finance Minister Jaswant Singh also threatened to follow suit if Advani did not withdraw his resignation.

"After this general secretaries Pramod Mahajan, Ananth Kumar and Arun Jaitley also fell in line, when they realised the truth of Modi's statement," said a senior party leader. Senior journalists Swapan Dasgupta and Chandan Mitra were also called on board.