Trouble in BJP deepened today with Yashwant Sinha quitting as Vice President even as party President Rajnath Singh threatened action against leaders violating party discipline and airing their views in public.
Significantly, minutes before Singh addressed a press conference virtually imposing a gag order on leaders talking to media on party matters, formally or informally, news filtered out that Sinha has resigned.
Sinha, elected from Hazaribagh in the recent elections and is understood to have been upset over recent appointments by L K Advani in the Parliamentary party, sent his resignation to Rajnath Singh.
Singh said he has not received the letter and he came to know about it only through the media.
At the press conference that comes amidst bitter infighting in the party, Singh acknowledged media reports that spoke of disarray in the leadership but refuted them saying they were united in analysing the reasons for the defeat.
"The media reports are far from truth. The leadership stands united and the party is united in analysing the outcome of the elections that have not come up to its expectations," he said.
"This obviously has to be an exhaustive and collective exercise which has begun at various levels. This will culminate in a 'Chintan Baithak' (brainstorming session) in the month of August after the Budget session," Singh said.
Rajnath Singh said "As President of the party, I have to say that it has been decided that henceforth all party leaders and functionaries should refrain from formally or informally sharing their views and inputs outside the party forums such as the media or any other platform about the internal deliberations within the party or share any information that might negatively impact the image of the party, failing which they will invite disciplinary proceedings against themselves.
"We will not compromise on indiscipline."
He, however, indicated that no action would be taken against those who have already aired their views in public on the causes of defeat.
"I said henceforth ... You can draw your own conclusions," Rajnath Singh said when persistently asked whether any action will be taken against Jaswant Singh and Sudheendra Kulkarni, who have gone public with their views.
When pointed out that BJP's earlier efforts to enforce discipline like expulsion of Uma Bharti had come a cropper, the party chief said: "wait and watch."
Rajnath Singh said the analysis of election results is aimed at making the party strong and expressed confidence that the efforts would succeed.
The BJP chief said the party had to talk tough as there have been "some developments" recently, an apparent reference to utterances by Jaswant Singh and Kulkarni.
Asked whether anybody should be held responsible for the poll defeat, Rajnath Singh said "the responsibility is collective in victory as also in defeat."
Referring to the outcome of the elections, he said it has not been upto the BJP's expectations but the party accepts the verdict of the people with humility.
"The BJP's emergence as the principal opposition party clearly indicates that millions of voters expect the BJP to perform the role as a responsible and responsive opposition party to ensure that the government does not treat the mandate as an excuse to take any decision that may go against the interest of the common man," he said.
