New Delhi: In the midst of personal attacks and infighting, BJP chief L K Advani addressed his first press conference since the elections on Friday. Here, Advani made it clear that he will not step down and will stay on as Leader of the Opposition.
Q: Will you continue as Leader of Opposition?
A: He has been elected for five years (says Sushma Swaraj)
Q: The question is for Mr Advani -- are you reluctant to continue and the partymen are forcing you or you think you should continue?
A: I have never done anything with reluctance (said Advani)
Those close to Advani say his continuance is needed, especially for a smooth election to choose BJP president Rajnath's successor in December. But his detractors promised war.
The aggressive dissent forced the BJP to cut the list of invitees for the brainstorming session or chintan baithak in Shimla to just 25 leaders.
The dissidents -- Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie -- are out. They will hope Jaswant Singh will raise the banner of revolt.
To ensure no trouble at the meet, Advani also redrew the agenda of the meet -- no looking back at election losses.
So, the leader stays in place. But what about his 'henchmen', as Arun Shourie infamously referred to the team around him.
Speaking to NDTV, Jaitley broke his silence on the criticism against him saying the defeat was a collective responsibility and should not be pinned on him.
Advani might have hinted what lies ahead of him. But till the succession issue is settled, the road ahead for the BJP will remain bumpy.