New Delhi, June 19: The BJP’s internal dissensions were manifest in two developments today: a hearing L.K. Advani gave to Narendra Modi’s bete noire Keshubhai Patel and the former’s determination to go ahead with a contest for the President’s post.

Barring Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar, none of the senior leaders has their hearts in the impending fight. But sources said that if Advani took a call, they would “go along” with him.

Sources said the BJP would back Purno A. Sangma as the “NDA’s” candidate if he did not budge despite pressure from his party, the NCP, to pull out. The plan came despite two key BJP allies, the Janata Dal (United) and the Shiv Sena, announcing they would vote for Pranab Mukherjee, and the Akali Dal still sounding iffy.

Another new partner, the Republican Party of India (Athawale), though numerically small, also said it would back Mukherjee.

The battle within was also reflected in former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s call to the BJP to build a consensus around Mukherjee and avoid a contest. Yeddyurappa has not been on the best of terms with Advani.

Sources said although the BJP chief ministers did not come out in the open, they were upset with Advani and the others for “unilaterally” deciding to throw the BJP’s hat in the ring without consulting them.

The electoral college to elect a President includes the votes of members of state Assemblies and legislative councils — wherever the bicameral system exists — and by implication, chief ministers too have a say in their party’s decision. But unlike Yeddyurappa, sources said none of them was expected to put a spoke in the central leadership’s plans.

Sources claimed Advani feared he would be marginalised from the BJP’s policy and decision-making structures and processes. Still, his meeting with Keshubhai provoked surprise, even shock, because the former Gujarat chief minister has declared war against the Modi government and threatened to work against the incumbent in the Assembly polls.

“If the BJP was serious about enforcing discipline, they ought to have showcaused Keshubhai. But it’s shocking that Advani, also the MP from Gandhinagar, gave him an audience. That too, six months before the Gujarat elections that are crucial for Modi and the BJP,” a source said.

Keshubhai said he would call on Sushma but the meeting had not fructified so far. His efforts to meet Nitin Gadkari, the BJP president, also failed. Keshubhai was told Gadkari was leaving for Nagpur and would be busy with preparations for his son’s wedding over the next few days.