TIPPING POINT

As the autumn leaves begin to fall in Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finds itself in familiar territory in the state-embroiled in internal strife just as another crucial election looms on the horizon.

- Anilesh S. Mahajan

With panchayat polls set for October 15, followed by byelections in four assembly seats, the party's focus should be on strengthening its rural base. Instead, a leadership crisis threatens to derail its efforts.

On a recent three-day visit to the state, Vijay Rupani, in-charge of party affairs in Punjab, found himself saddled with the mortifying task of explaining away the conspicuous absence of state unit chief Sunil Jakhar from key meetings. Putting on a brave face, the former Gujarat chief minister told reporters that Jakhar had gone to Delhi for "personal work". A facade of normalcy was just about kept up, but nearly not enough to conceal an interior rife with discontent.