Nursing its electoral wounds, the BJP national executive has reached a conclusion that it needs to paint its Hindutva platform as inclusive.
On Sunday, the BJP almost admitted that the lumpen elements behind the violence against Christians in Kandhamal, the attacks on women in Mangalore and even Varun Gandhi's hate speech were the cause of its defeat.
The promise of a moderate Hindutva will please leaders like Jaswant Singh, who questioned the meaning of Hindutva in its present form and complained about how senior leaders were not consulted on policy matters. Now they can take credit for the change.
But the call for liberal Hindutva could further divide the BJP. On Sunday, during the meet, Varun's mother Maneka Gandhi clashed with leaders who have been demanding action against him for his hate speech.
The declaration indicates another worry. That if and when LK Advani steps down, the Gennext will lack the seniority to resist RSS demands for an exclusive Hindutva. That is why the RSS is being told this will be the BJP's brand of Hindutva.
But Advani did not spell out what next and who next. Leaders like Arun Shourie and Jaswant Singh want accountability for the loss to be fixed. Leaders had fought pitched battles on day one over the issue.
Advani merely asked them not to point fingers. Unlike Rajnath who took responsibility for the loss, Advani underplayed the defeat.
If the BJP awaits when will he step down, Advani promised a new yatra.
Those close to Advani say this is to ensure a smooth transition. His opponents say by saving his coterie from being held responsible for the loss, Advani is trying to hang on.
The BJP debated why it lost an election. It did course correction on Hindutva and even tried creating a future road map. But the clear and present danger -- the issue of fixing accountability, part of a succession war -- hangs fire till the BJP settles that will live like a dormant volcano.
