Even as former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee met Lal Kishenchand Advani on Tuesday and urged him to withdraw his resignation as the party president, there were indications that the BJP had begun preparing for life without Advani at the helm.

With signs that Advani may not withdraw his resignation, party general secretray Rajnath Singh is likely to emerge as the proverbial dark horse to succeed him.

While party vice-president M Venkiah Naidu is expected to officiate as the president for the time being, the former
Uttar Pradesh chief minister may take over the mantle in the near future, party sources said.

Other probables for the post include former party president Murli Manohar Joshi and BJP deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj.

Singh, who is bracketed with Gen Next leaders, is credited with getting for the party difficult states like Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand, where he was the poll in-charge in 2004.

The name of senior party leader and former human resource development minister Murli Manohar Joshi -- who is close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- is making rounds in the party circle as the next president.

Advani's resignation came following widespread criticism from the RSS and allied bodies of Advani's recent statement in Pakistan praising Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

Also see: Advani quit over Togadia's 'traitor' tag

Earlier in the day, Advani told some top BJP leaders that he had made up his mind.

He told an NDTV correspondent that his family -- wife Kamala, daughter Pratibha and son Jayant -- supported him in his decision.

Vajpayee is the only party leader to defend Advani's statement on Jinnah.

A senior leader, who met Advani in the morning, said the BJP chief was hurt that nobody in the party protested when Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togagia called him a 'traitor'.

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