Raje defiant as BJP's crisis deepens

The battlelines seem to be drawn. So, Vasundhara Raje attended an Independence Day function as Leader of the Opposition in Rajasthan, but gave the BJP's official function a miss.

For now she is showing no signs of stepping down. Sources close to Raje told NDTV:

• It is unfair to ask her to resign when she had the support of over 60 of the 78 MLAs
• They also claim that Raje has still not received any official intimation from the central leadership asking her to quit
• Pointing out that the BJP performed poorly in the country as a whole during the recent Lok Sabha polls. They say the top leaders need to introspect as well

But when the cameras are on, for now everyone in the part is choosing to remain mum.

"There's nothing to be said just now. If there's something to be said, I'll tell you," says Raje.

BJP president Rajnath Singh says: "I don't want to say anything. Today we will talk only of the country, not about the party."

As top leaders grapple with the growing rift, LK Advani's refusal to even meet MLAs supporting Raje in Delhi has emboldened her detractors in Rajasthan. They are now openly ridiculing Raje.

Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Hari Shankar Bhabra says: " Why is she so keen to stick to her post? Her argument that she does not want to leave as she loves Rajasthan is bogus. In reality, she only wants to keep her post."

The row over, Vasundhara's removal has now turned into a full-scale proxy war between Raje and Rajnath Singh. And with both leaders and their loyalists locked in an eyeball-to eyeball clash, and the BJP's crucial Chintan Baithak coming up next week, the big question is who will blink first.