New Delhi, March 3: Who wins or loses the trial of strength in the Jharkhand Assembly is a subject of speculation but the BJP feels that it has pulled ahead of the Congress in the propaganda war on the installation of the Shibu Soren government.

The BJP leadership regained its voice which was somewhat muted yesterday in the face of questions about the party?s record when it had the power to appoint governors.

BJP president L.K. Advani today likened Jharkhand governor Syed Sibtey Razi to a ?supari (contract) killer? ? strong words from a veteran politician who usually chooses his words with care.

The outburst was also in sharp contrast to Advani?s comments yesterday when he chose to deflect questions on a Bihar parallel five years ago when the BJP was in power at the Centre. ?Why talk of 2000? Talk of 2005,? he had said.

Overnight, the circumspection disappeared. Addressing an NDA strategy session, Advani also spoke of ?real criminals?. BJP spokesperson V.K. Malhotra later said the party president held Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi ?responsible?.

BJP sources claimed that the psychological tide turned in their ?favour? after President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam gave a ?sympathetic? hearing to an NDA delegation last evening.

The NDA also targeted what it perceives as the ruling alliance?s most vulnerable point: the Prime Minister?s obsession to be seen as ?fair? and above politics.

Yesterday morning, NDA ally Nitish Kumar and a senior party colleague were understood to have told Singh that the people had ?rightly? punished the BJP in the general elections over Gujarat, but the party might be revived by governors? apparent hurry to grab state governments for the UPA.

They had called on Singh to hand over proceeds of a tsunami fund-raising drive.

The Prime Minister reportedly fears that a delayed resolution of the Jharkhand situation would affect Parliament?s ongoing budget session, spoiling his chance to reply to the debate on the President?s address.

The Left?s disapproval of the ?haste? with which Soren was installed also did not hurt the BJP campaign.

The Opposition party?s spirits soared further when it became apparent that the Congress ?high command? had decided to distance itself from the players in Ranchi and Kalam summoned the governor.

But the party knows that the impact of the parade of the 41 MLAs before the President is limited to the psychological battle.

What matters more is the ability to hold on to the flock and convert the verbal support into votes of confidence in the Jharkhand Assembly.