Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Pramod Mahajan acknowledged the absence of 'team spirit' in the party and attributed this to the 'tussle for party presidentship' among the second rung leaders.

"It (the internal strife) is like the Indian cricket team, where everyone strives to achieve personal milestones. Yet the team loses," Mahajan, a second rung leader himself, told Aaj Tak news channel.

"I think when all of us, including myself, work as a team and the tussle for the party presidentship ends, we will perform well," he said.

Mahajan added, "We must understand that if the party grows, we will grow along with it and vice versa. What's the fun in leading a party, which does not have any significance?"

Blaming the media for raking up controversies about power tussle in BJP, Mahajan, however, said the media 'can do such a thing only if there is some issue'.

He added that the second rung leaders were a big source of strength to the party and that 'during the recent crisis (created by party chief Lal Kishenchand Advani's resignation), despite differences, these leaders had worked together towards solving the problem."

Advani had resigned earlier this month after coming under attack from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its allied bodies for his comments praising Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Though Advani withdrew the resignation after appeals from the party, RSS and its allied organisations continue to criticise him for diluting the party's ideology.

Describing RSS as 'our mother', Mahajan said 'we will never break our relationship with them'.

"The execution of ideology is the BJP's duty and RSS should leave this to us... They should give us freedom to work," he said.

On Vishwa Hindu Parishad's demand for Advani's resignation, Mahajan said the organisation is free to express its views.

"But we expect them to desist from using abusive language. Such comments harm our organisation and anti-Hindu forces gain from it," he added.

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