NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party's national executive committee meeting, starting in Chennai on September 16, will attempt to shift the focus from internal bickering to the differences within the United Progressive Alliance and among its supporting parties.

Still smarting under the bruises suffered by the party on the issue of expulsion of senior leader Madan Lal Khurana and its revocation — that brought into the open serious differences between the `big two', the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and president L.K. Advani — leaders are anxious that the message from Chennai should be one of a united house.

As if to reinforce this, Mr. Advani called on Mr. Vajpayee at his residence here on Tuesday, marking the first face-to-face between them since the decision to expel Mr. Khurana was taken.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Khurana met Mr. Vajpayee to thank him for his intervention, which led to the revocation of the expulsion.

But, coming out of his residence, Mr. Khurana is reported to have said that he had not apologised but only expressed regret for his statements against Mr. Advani.

While party leaders are not seeing this as a sign of the Khurana serial continuing, no one is sure whether the Chennai executive will be a smooth affair or there will be demands for a discussion on the `Jinnah is secular' episode that led to a standoff between Mr. Advani and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Since April, the party has seen the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Uma Bharati, daring Mr. Advani to take action against her (she was "suspended" from the party and the order was revoked after she apologised); convulsions after Mr. Advani's remarks on Jinnah in Pakistan in June; rebellions against the Jharkhand and Gujarat Chief Ministers (for the moment these have been quelled); and the Khurana serial played out last week. A question uppermost in the minds of practically all BJP leaders relates to the timetable for Mr. Advani's exit as party president. However, no one is sure what will happen on that question.

Three general secretaries are drafting resolutions for the Chennai meeting — one on political issues by Arun Jaitley, another on economic issues by Rajnath Singh and the third on internal security by Pramod Mahajan. Mr. Advani will deliver the opening speech and Mr. Vajpayee, the concluding address.

Bihar, as also some other States going to the polls next year, will be discussed. After the three-day session ends on September 18, State presidents and general secretaries will meet for a day.

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