After three Prime Ministers at the Centre in the last 18 months, two failed experiments of UF-Congress coalition and more than a year since it formed shortlived Government at the Centre, the BJP appears to be where and what it was when it started off - a political untouchable. Even the all-pervading fear of having to contest an unwanted election ... failed to induce one-third of the Congress MPs to come out of their party and join forces with the BJP ... MPs chose to go by party discipline in opting for elections over a BJP-led Government, even if it was with Vajpayee at the helm.

Despite the edge the BJP and its allies have over the others, it does not seem at present that they would be able to get a simple majority in the next Lok Sabha, given the fractured polity and the segmented vote banks.  To exploit the advantages it has over others and to reach out to new social sections, geographical areas and political groups, the BJP needs to restructure its strategy.

Even if the BJP-led combine has its slogan of offering a stable, credible and corruption-free government ready, it realises that without a social, geographical and political breakthrough it could one again lose out in the power game.

The need to look for a formula was signalled by Advani when he raked up and linked the Ayodhya issue with the Mathura and Kashi controversies. Although the last two are not on the party's agenda, in resurrecting an old proposal he appears to have brought it to the forefront.

... With the Babari Masjid already demolished, the formula could be as much a non-starter today as it was earlier. But in the process, it has indicated that while the BJP was willing to negotiate between the Muslim and the VHP on the issue, it was also possibly keeping its powder dry on re-emphasising Hindutva, if necessary.

Along with this, although many in the combine believe that the post-electoral scene this time may work in their favour in the concern to ensure a longer life for the next Lok Sabha, the psychological exercise at conveying signals of winning friends is on ... The BJP is desperately trying to signal that it is not politically untouchable.

Lok Sabha 1998: Muslim Representation