The crisis in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following the resignation of L.K. Advani entered its fourth day Friday with the hope that the arrival of senior leader Jaswant Singh from Israel might help resolve the stalemate.
Former foreign minister Jaswant Singh is being viewed by some sections as a possible consensus candidate to succeed Advani as party president.
Singh is one of the few leaders who have come out in defence of Advani's controversial praise of Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah and his description of partition was an "unalterable reality of history".
Moderates in the party are optimistic that Singh might be acceptable to the hardliners in the party as well.
BJP leaders, who have been trying to arrive at a compromise to end the stand-off between Advani and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), indicated that the deadlock would be resolved during discussions in the day.
The party's parliamentary board was scheduled to meet Thursday but the discussions were postponed till Friday due to bitter differences between moderates and hardliners on Advani's remarks, made during his weeklong visit to Pakistan.
The schisms deepened Thursday with former BJP president and staunch RSS loyalist Murli Manohar Joshi saying that the party's ideology could not be compromised and anyone who disagreed with it risked treading a lonely path.
Joining him was senior Jharkhand leader Babulal Marandi, who also expressed his strong reservations about Advani's views.
Advani's comments were seen as a complete departure from the RSS' basic philosophy of 'Akhand Bharat' (united India).
The only leaders siding with Advani were the BJP's allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U).
Advani had during his Pakistan visit said Jinnah was a man who advocated a secular Pakistan and stood for Hindu-Muslim unity.
The comments had raised a furore with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the RSS, demanding he retract his complimentary references to a man who had been seen in India as the "villain" behind the partitioning of the subcontinent.
Harvard students condemn Oxford University
Publish Date : 3/5/2007 7:11:00 AM
Two Harvard students, including an NRI, have condemned Oxford University, where they are Rhodes scholars, as "outdated" and "frustrating" and dismissed its world famous Bodleian library as "less than inspiring".
Indian embassy to outsource jobs to American firm
Publish Date : 3/5/2007 7:10:00 AM
After taking thousands of American jobs through outsourcing, India is planning to give a few back. The Indian embassy in the US capital is planning to outsource processing of visas to a US-based company.
Badal heads 18-member coalition ministry in Punjab(Final lead: Badal)
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:29:00 AM
Octogenarian leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Parkash Singh Badal, on Friday took oath as Punjab's new Chief Minister and will lead an 18-member SAD-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition ministry.
Bareilly eunuch adopts a girl child
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:22:00 AM
It was a day of celebration for Saroj, a eunuch in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, as 'she' has become a 'mother' by adopting a baby girl.
Kalam offers prayer at Fatehpuri Masjid
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:16:00 AM
Keeping a promise made two years ago, President A P J Abdul Kalam today offered prayers at the historic Fatehpuri Masjid in Chandni Chowk here along with thousands of Muslims.
Union Budget directionless, says Modi
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:41:00 AM
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today criticised the Union Budget by terming it as "directionless".
Centre allocates over Rs 100 crore for minority zones
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:38:00 AM
Unfazed by the BJP's criticism over its welfare schemes for Muslims, the Congress-led Central Government has allocated over Rs 100 crore for development programmes in select districts with a sizeable population of minorities.
Kins of political bigwigs fail to find voters' favour
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:27:00 AM
The assembly polls in Punjab turned out to be unkind for several kins of political bigwigs as voters rejected most of them barring some of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) supremo Parkash Singh Badal's near and dear ones.
High Court order on age of nursery admission tomorrow
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:24:00 AM
The Delhi High Court today observed that the city Government's submission that a child should be four-years-old to get admission in nursery class was contrary to the law.
Parliament session may be stormy tomorrow on Quattrocchi issue
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:18:00 AM
After the lull, it is going to be storm again in Parliament tomorrow.
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