New Delhi: A new day has brought a new voice of dissent in the BJP. Now it is the former major at war within.
Jaswant Singh was candid on NDTV. But most of the BJP went into determined silence after he went public with criticism.
Jaswant is believed to have circulated a note within the party's group, questioning why those who led the campaign and the party have been rewarded.
As multipe fronts of conflict open up, the gag orders to the party leadership to not go public with differences doesnt seem to be working.
Says senior party leader Vinay Katiyar: "Those who do not beleive in Hegdewar and Golwalkar have no place in the party."
Katiyar even broke free from his party line on the Women's Reservation Bill, asking political rivals like Lalu and Mulayam to join hands.
"I will appeal to Lalu yadav, Sharad Yadav, kalyan Singh to help defeat the women quota bill in its present form."
After the election defeat, the BJP finds two camps ranged against each other. One led by L K Advani, who has placed Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj as leaders in Parliament and may back Jaitley, Sushma or Venkaiah Naidu for party president in December.
The rival camp has leaders eyeing party posts as and when Advani steps down.
These include Jaswant Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Rajnath Singh and Yashwant Sinha.
Now the key meeting will be when the BJP's national executive meets next week. The RSS chief will also be in Delhi then. As senior leaders ask what is Hindutva -- it's here that the real clash is expected.
In 2004, "India Shining" bombed. In 2009, "Advani for PM" failed to help BJP to power. Now condemned to spend five more years in opposition, the party with a difference is a party with bitter differences.