He almost dropped a bombshell, in the National Executive meeting yesterday, when he said the BJP lost at least seven seats because of wrong selection of candidates, adding "I do not, however, want to say who all were responsible for that."

But it clearly indicated that he was either referring to the party High Command or the RSS -- the only two authorities who could impose the candidates. "Large turnout of Muslim population and their going for the Congress in a big way completely changed our good projects. The BJP manifesto which came few days before the elections and its top priority to building the temple in Ayodhya motivated the Muslims to vote against the BJP," he said.

L K Advani promptly told him that nobody wanted him to quit, butshould certainly go into the cause of defeat.