In a message connoting strength, it signalled to the nation that it was serious about the promises it made in its manifesto and the National Agenda for Governance. It also indicated to the international community that the country could not be taken for granted.

According to high-level sources in the Government, it was Pakistan's Ghauri missile that triggered Monday's blasts.

Though narrow political gains could not have pushed the Government into such an act, the ruling party would certainly have calculated the political returns. Having been pushed around by its allies, the Government has just not been able to make any impact. Now, by taking a calculated risk, the BJP has tried to wrest back the initiative it had lost from day one.

In one swift action, the BJP has attempted to widen its constituency.Successive opinion polls had shown that a nuclear test would capture the imagination of the people. The tests are also a warning to the allies that the BJP is ready to go back to the people if pushed beyond a point.

Whether by design or inadvertently, George Fernandes's recent statements, describing China and not Pakistan as as enemy number one, may end up softening the Muslims vis-a-vis the BJP.

The success of the operation was in the complete secrecy in which it was carried out. None of the allies was told about it. Only Defence Minister George Fernandes was informed in advance. Nor was the Union Cabinet taken into confidence.

President K R Narayanan was informed about the decision on Sunday evening and Vice-President Krishan Kant, who is away in Cairo for the G-15 meeting, this afternoon. The leader of the Opposition, Sharad Pawar, was told about the tests only after they were over.

The hawks in the BJP, who wanted the Government to make its presence felt, had their way. The decision was takenessentially by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani.

When the BJP had included the clause about exercising the nuclear option in the National Agenda for Governance, its 18 partners had gone along with it, much to the surprise of the party. The ruling party had calculated that given the emotive nature of the issue, the other major political groups would find it very difficult to distance themselves from today's tests. This is precisely what happened. Barring the Left, the other major groups welcomed Monday's action. The Congress and the United Front even said that such a step had been under the active consideration of both parties when they were in government.