Then, of course, there is the unresolved problem in the top rungs of the central leadership where no replacements have been found for the two reluctant retirees, L.K. Advani and Rajnath Singh, because of the rivalries among members of GenNext.

Over and above these difficulties, there is continuing uncertainty about the BJP's ideology since the party does not know whether to follow hard or soft Hindutva. While the RSS favours the former, there are sections in the party who realise the value of Atal Behari Vajpayee's moderation. Their numbers may be small after Vajpayee's retreat into silence and Advani's marginalisation, but they are aware that the BJP cannot move forward via the anti-Muslim virulence of Varun Gandhi or the anti-women antics of Sri Ram Sene.

Therefore, whatever aspect of the party is considered - ideological direction, organisational coherence, leadership potential - the BJP looks to be at sea. Yet, it is important to remember that the party is in power in as many as eight states - Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

It is the BJP's presence in these states which helps it to sustain its image of a national party along, of course, with its 120 seats in the Lok Sabha. Otherwise, no one would have given it much hope. There is all the more reason, therefore, for the party to ensure that its hold on the states is not weakened. Yet, the BJP seems to be trying its best to shoot itself in the foot in this respect.

In Rajasthan, for instance, its defeat in the last assembly elections was ascribed to internal sabotage. What is more, the culprits were said to be stalwarts like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Jaswant Singh, who apparently could not accept Vasundhara Raje's queenly ways. Neither apparently could Rajnath Singh, who forced her to quit the leader of the opposition's post by accepting responsibility for the party's defeat.

Now, former Union minister Ananth Kumar is believed to be behind the rebellion by the mine-owning Reddy brothers - Janardhana and Karunakara - against Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa. There are also rumours of Advani and Rajnath Singh being in opposite camps in this battle.

What all these alarums and excursions show is that the BJP is its own worst enemy. Although factionalism is a familiar feature of Indian politics, this ailment has assumed a deadly form in the party because of the absence of credible leaders at the national level, who can impose a modicum of discipline on the organisation either by force of their personality or the capability to win elections.

Vajpayee came closest to achieving these objectives by conveying the impression that he could lead the NDA to victory by his accommodative style of functioning. This is the reason why Vajpayee blamed Narendra Modi for the 2004 defeat because he felt that the Gujarat riots had robbed him of his USP.

There has been no one after Vajpayee to make the BJP's followers believe that their leader has the recipe for success. Advani tried ineffectually to take Vajpayee's place, but he lacked the warmth of the former Prime Minister's amiable personality. It was out of the question, therefore, for the fire-breathing rath yatri of 1990 to don Vajpayee's mantle.

While Advani could not shake off his hawkish image, Rajnath Singh flaunted his hardline views all the more. Having been chosen by the RSS to replace Advani as the party president after the latter's Jinnah faux pas, Rajnath Singh believed that the blessings of the Nagpur bosses made him invulnerable.

However, he could not dispense with his small town mentality, which made him suspicious of every possible challenger, especially city slickers like Arun Jaitley, with whom he had an all too visible spat just before the Lok Sabha elections. His lack of rapport with Advani is also obvious.

With such people at the helm, it was inevitable that the party would appear to be falling apart. If it loses Karnataka after Rajasthan, few would have much hope about its future, especially when the Congress is trying to provide a more purposeful governance by showing uncommon belligerence towards both China and Pakistan and a determination to root out the Maoist menace.

The only way out for the BJP is to resolve its leadership problems as quickly as possible, but the chances of that happening do not look too bright. Nitin Gadkari's name was once advanced as a possible replacement for Rajnath Singh, but the BJP's setback in Maharashtra has undermined the prospects of the party chief in the state. In any event, the bad vibes between Gadkari and Gopinath Munde merely confirm how personal angularities spoil the chances of nearly all aspirants for senior positions, whether it is Jaitley or Sushma Swaraj or Venkaiah Naidu. (IPA Service)