Jaipur: BJP has a lot to worry about, just before its chintan baithak. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly and an Advani loyalist, has rebelled against an order by BJP president Rajnath Singh to step down.
The RSS and Rajnath Singh say she should take responsibility for the party's poor show in the state. But Vasundhra is saying no.
According to the buzz in the Vasundhara camp, why should she resign over Rajasthan when the party's top leaders didn't over the Lok Sabha loss?
Ever since the buzz about her removal, Vasundhara has stayed inside her house in Jaipur and has remained completely silent. But MLAs loyal to her are in a defiant mood and say they will not allow any move to replace Raje.
"If there is any move to remove her, we will not accept it. The wish of the MLAs should prevail," said Rajendra Rathore, senior MLA from Churu and a Cabinet minister in Raje's government.
Party chief Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, is neither confirming it nor denying any such order.
"I don't deny anything, neither do I accept. These decisions are taken in the party and I cannot discuss them," he said.
Sources say this will split the party's state unit and further polarise the national leadership. The divide over Vasundhra is the same as that regarding control over the BJP between LK Advani and his camp and Rajnath Singh.
So, currently backing Vasundhara Raje are L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. And those against her are Rajnath Singh, Jaswant Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi.
The problem is that Vasundhra's battle has opened a new front in the party and even within the RSS, its leaders are already taking sides.
The RSS-BJP relationship faces perhaps the worst crisis ever as the Sangh wants changes in the BJP. The national and state leaders are saying no, but the Sangh wants smooth transition. There is a bloody war on and the RSS must be missing Vajpayee, the final arbiter.