NEW DELHI, 19 July 2005 — Top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders yesterday decided to postpone a crucial national executive meeting that was to begin July 21 in Madras.

Party sources say the decision was taken to avoid voices of dissent from coming out in the open in the party forum in the wake of a demand by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh that Lal Krishna Advani step down as party chief.

Four senior leaders — former party presidents Bangaru Laxman and Jana Krishnamurthy, Madan Lal Khurana and party Vice President Pyare Lal Khandelwal — have demanded discussions on various issues, including party ideology and the principle of “one-man, one-post”, at the national executive.

However, Advani warded off the protracted RSS-led challenge to his leadership, ending uncertainty about his political future and silencing his critics with a remarkable display of fighting ability and resolve.

After day-long frenzied meetings on Sunday, the BJP president survived, albeit with bruises and wounds that may take long to heal. Party Vice President Venkaiah Naidu ended the suspense by saying that Advani would hold the posts of both party president and leader of opposition.

The turning point came when Advani, accompanied by Naidu, Jaswant Singh and Sanjay Joshi, went to the RSS headquarters and held detailed discussions with RSS General Secretary Mohan Bhagwat and joint General Secretary Suresh Soni. Party sources said the BJP leaders managed to convince the RSS that this sort of public infighting was not helping either side.

In frequent exchanges over the last two days between the BJP and the Hindu right wing, BJP leaders made it clear that the RSS should not be seen as dictating the course of BJP politics.

The RSS was also told that their concerns were important for the BJP, but any transition should take place in the normal course and not under pressure. The BJP leaders also assured the RSS that the party was committed to the ideology and the necessary course correction would be reflected in its future resolutions and statements.

An RSS statement that followed Advani’s departure from Keshav Kunj (the RSS headquarters), said the RSS expected the BJP to make serious efforts in the coming days to address the sentiments expressed by the Sangh on issues like ideology, conduct, organization and the emergence of a new generation of leaders.

The statement, signed by Bhagwat, also said the RSS would not interfere in the decisions of the BJP.