L. K. Advani's resignation from the post of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president on Tuesday has once again plunged the Hindu nationalists' party in the throes of crisis.

Though the BJP's Parliamentary members have urged him to reconsider his decision, and his entire party, including former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, is rallying behind him, it is unlikely that Advani would retract from his decision.

However, party insiders say that it is almost certain that the BJP, the largest opposition party, would accept his resignation, and possible candidates are also being discussed.

The fresh developments make it obvious that the party is under intense pressure to stick to the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) (National Volunteers Crop) propagated- ideology, and that any deviation from the course would not be acceptable to the RSS.

Though at the on-set Advani put in his papers after he came in for sharp criticism from the Sangh Parivar, which comprises the BJP, RSS and some other Hindu outfits, for his remarks on Mohammed Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, and now-razed Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, Advani seems to have made his move carefully.

Many tongues were in cheek after Advani stated that the demolition of the Babri (Masjid) was the saddest day of his life. Many believed that Advani was the mastermind of the demolition of the Babri mosque, which aroused anger from the Indian Muslims and later caused the conflict between the Hindus and Muslims.

And if this was not enough to make the Sangh Parivar feel uncomfortable, Advani dropped another bomb-shell by terming the founder of Pakistan, Jinnah, as a "secular" leader.

The Sangh Pariwar, including the BJP, always holds Jinnah responsible for the partition of India in 1947, and the subsequent formation of Pakistan.

Both the statements, which Advani made during his week-long visit to Pakistan, which incidentally also happens to be his native land, were like a bolt from the blue not only for the Sangh Parivar but also for the other political parties, including the Congress and the Communists alike.

The reason is that the 78-year old politician and the president of the BJP has always championed for the Hindu cause.

Advani'remarks, according to the Sangh Parivar, were not in tune with that image, and this made the Sangh Parivar rage in anger.

However, there is much more than what meets the eye. As a matter of fact, Advani's statement on Jinnah and Babri were seemingly aimed at image-make-over.

Many liberal Indian voters perceived Advani as a hardliner, an image which he still carries on.

Because of this image, Advani lost out to the moderate face of the party, Atal Behari Vajpayee, in the prime ministership race in 1998.

However, now that an aging Vajpayee is not in a position to lead any coalition under BJP, if the party comes to power whenever elections are held, Advani would be the number one candidate to fill in the premiership post.

The change of his image from a hardliner to a moderate statesman is important and necessary for Advani, and that's why he made such remarks which finally cost him dearly, a BJP official said.

It is believed that former Party President and former Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Rajnath Singh, former Agriculture Minister, are the front runners in the succession to replace Advani.

Source: Xinhua