Much has been written and said about BJP President Lal Krishna Advani's "resignation episode". His statements about Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah during his recent visit to Pakistan, his subsequent resignation as party chief after a "very strong criticism" from Right-wing Hindu groups Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP's ideological parent, and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), and ultimate withdrawal of his resignation made headlines in Pakistani and Indian newspapers.
Most of the analysts insist that Advani created the situation, which he did not preconceive. Others think he has weakened his position in his party after this episode.
But the fact is that Advani made a calculated attempt to refashion his image as a moderate, because being a seasoned politician, he is not supposed to utter a word without keeping its consequences in mind.
It is unthinkable that he did this without prior approval of his party. Certainly before leaving New Delhi he should have got his itinerary/programmes and statements approved by the BJP high command. It is, however, possible the RSS and VHP might not be taken on board at that time.
The former home and deputy prime minister, who is wrestling with his own history, tried to distance himself from rightwing groups. He is reaching for the kind of moderate image his predecessor and former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had.
The significance of the latest attempt to change his image was that it was made in Pakistan. It will help the BJP to woo Muslim voters in the next elections. While in government Advani was also regarded as a hawk who mistrusted Pakistan.
On the one hand Advani tried to woo Muslim and moderate Hindu voters for the next elections, while on the other certain leaders in the BJP, the RSS and the VHP, by criticising the BJP chief, tried to keep the hard-line Hindu voters intact.
They both are trying to create a new vote bank without losing the old supporters. After its surprise defeat in national elections last year by the left-backed Congress party the BJP has now realised that the Hindutva agenda had lost its appeal.
The BJP has been struggling for direction since national elections. The party needs to appeal to moderate Hindus and keep its opposition coalition intact.
Formerly known as a fervent critic of Pakistan, the wily political strategist utilised his tour of Islamabad and Karachi very shrewdly This entire episode has enhanced his political stature.
During the 'resignation crisis' several of his party colleagues defended Advani's speech as they tried to mollify him.
The BJP president submitted his resignation a day after returning from Pakistan, where he described Jinnah as a "secular" and "outstanding" leader who had made history.
"Many persons find a place in history but there are very few who actually make history, and Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was one such rare personalities," he said after his visit to Quaid's mausoleum in Karachi.
The RSS blames Jinnah for the partition of the subcontinent along religious line at independence in 1947.
"I have not said or done anything in Pakistan which I need to retract or review," the 77-year-old Advani added in his resignation letter.
Advani was seen as a champion of the hard-liners, but has steered a more moderate line since taking over the party leadership for a fourth time last year.
He was recognised as the driving force behind the BJP's meteoric rise from relative obscurity to a party of national stature.
Advani has long been accused by critics of encouraging religious polarisation, but the BJP strongly valued his organisational talents in rallying supporters in the Hindu majority country.
In last year's election campaign, he tried an image makeover to rebut charges he was anti-Islam, even seeking the blessings of a Muslim cleric before embarking on a nation-wide election roadshow.
Advani led the BJP's campaign in 1992 to build Rama temple on the site of the 16th century Babri Mosque, leading to its demolition by a Hindu mob. The mosque demolition sparked some of India's worst religious riots in which over 2,000 people, mainly Muslims, died -- an event Advani called "the saddest day of my life."
After the so-called "resignation episode" was over BJP vice president Venkaiah Naidu told a press conference that Advani's decision to stay as party chief came after a compromise resolution adopted by the BJP's parliamentary committee made up of the party's top leaders.
"The resolution has taken note of the fact that Advani's visit brought the people of India and Pakistan closer, helped remove a mountain of misunderstandings between them and took the momentum of better relations to a new level," he said.
The resolution also reaffirmed the party's traditional stance rejecting the 1947 partition.
"The BJP has always condemned the division of India along Hindu-Muslim communal lines," said Naidu.
"There can be no revisiting the reality that Jinnah led a communal agitation to achieve his goal of Pakistan, which devoured thousands of innocent people in its wake and dispossessed millions of their homes and livelihoods," he added.
It's noteworthy that various BJP leaders asked Advani to withdraw his resignation but did not defend his position on Jinnah.
The BJP's national image was bolstered as the party leaders rallied around Advani and took a strong position against the Hindu r It is not fair to assume that Advani has lost his grip over party affairs after his 'resignation episode'. Proof of this is sacking of former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha, who criticised the BJP chief for his statement about Pakistan's founder, from the post of party spokesman. Sinha had said Advani's "remarks in Pakistan were unnecessary and avoidable."
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