In Haryana there is a favourite saying – `Seekhega Nai ka, katega Jat ka’ (The barber’s would learn, the Jat’s would cut). This is precisely what is happening in BJP. Or else no one knows that the campaign that Arun Shourie has started to target BJP and its senior leaders has the blessings of the Sangh. Why is Rajnath taking pride for no valid reason. On Shourie’s target is Advani and his group and his favourites and stooges. So BJP is avoiding seeking a `sorry’ from Shourie. He has onlyo been asked to give a clarification and that too oral. So he would remain firmly entrenched in the party. And would keep firing on all cylinders.

Some much talked about misconceptions in the minds of the BJP leaders – Rajnath Singh’s belief that he also takes decisions, Advani believes he is the “builder of the party’’, Ahluwalia does not consider himself an outsider, Ananth Kumar wants to be party president and Shahnawaz Husain the Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sudhanshu Mittal’s thinking that those who are against Advani are with him, Ranjan Bhattacharya’s belief that he can make or break BJP, Shourie considers himself a big leader of the party, Jaitley thinks he is a super mind, Yashwant Sinha’s belief that those who are running BJP at present lack brains, Vasundhara Raje’s thought that she made the Jat voters come close to BJP, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat – wants the old days to return, Jaswant’s belief that BJP people know neither English nor diplomacy, Murli Manohar Joshi’s considering himself a natural choice for the post of party president, Sushma Swaraj thinks that Advani is, like Atal, a great leader of BJP.

The Sangh’s worries over Advani are increasing by the day. Before the introspection meeting, the Sangh had with great humility advised Advani that he should pave the way for the youth to come forward in the party and that he should also allow the young leadership to thrive. Or, the Sangh had made clear its view that it wanted Advani to move out, vacate the post of Leader of Opposition and of the party leader. But when Advani did not budge, the Sangh had to go on the back foot and issue a statement that `we do not interfere in BJP’. This when members of the Sangh have been advising Advani for a long time that he should like Sonia Gandhi only remain the chairman of the Parlimentary Board. Earlier Atal too had followed this tradition and he had not become Leader of Opposition. But Advani remains a tough nut to crack and insists that if Atal’s health had permitted then he too would have become Leader of Opposition.

Hooda has sounded the bugle for a mid-term election in Haryana. So in such a situation, the question that is relevant is whether the pact between BJP and INLD would remain alive? But sources tell us that at present both BJP and Chautala are busy singing their own tunes. BJP feels that Chautala has no mandate left in the State and Chautala believes that there is no one to swear by the name of BJP in Haryana and so both the parties can go their own ways and fight the elections. For the Congress, this is definitely music to the ears.

During lunch, all the leaders present in the meeting saw Jaswant’s statement to the media on his expulsion which was very balanced and restrained. This moved them and while the leaders were returning after the meeting, many of them had a heavy heart and moist eyes.