BJP's latest fight: Who'll speak first?

These days the BJP is spending more time and effort fighting within itself than in taking on the government.

On Tuesday, many veteran leaders skipped a meeting to decide on the BJP's response to the budget, and there is now a scrap on who is going to lead the charge against the budget in Parliament.

Leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi and Yashwant Sinha are battling over who will speak first on the budget for the party in Lok Sabha.

Sources say Sinha, ex-finance minister, wants to be the first while his rivals are backing Joshi.

So before the crucial budget debate, ex-finance minister Sinha is sulking and another ex-FM Jaswant Singh is visiting his ancestral village. The party is at a loss to explain their absence.

"Jaswant Singh is in his village while Yashwant Sinha said he had an appointment," said BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.

Failing to control the succession war, party's top leader L K Advani is desperate to ensure that the BJP doesn't get bad press.

"It seems we have too many spokesmen," said Advani.

On Tuesday he asked MPs to choose their personal staff carefully, remain cautious against sting operations and not become part of a corporate war.

"Advani asked us to be careful as last time, eight to 10 MPs lost their seats due to corruption," said BJP MP Sadanand Gowda.

"Advani asked MPs to frame questions that don't suit any lobby," said Sushma.

It's a typical case of Advani trying to repair minor cracks, even as the succession war creates major fissures in the party.