Arun Shourie, a Rajya Sabha MP, also raised the banner of revolt saying some BJP leaders were behaving like 'Humpty Dumpty'.

Adding to this, the defiance of former chief ministers Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan and B.C. Khanduri of Uttarakhand has jolted the party.

'For the time being, Advani's programme has been postponed. It may not take off for a while if this crisis does not blow over,' said a senior party leader who cannot be named as he is not authorised to speak to the press.

Unlike his previous 'rath yatras', this tour was not to hold public meetings but to primarily interact with BJP workers at all levels and to get a first-hand account of what ails the party.

The most famous of Advani's yatras took place in 1990 when the BJP was propping up the coalition government of Prime Minister V.P. Singh.

Amid a wave of Hindu nationalist fervour, Advani was to have travelled from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh in support of a temple at the site of the Babri mosque. It was marred by violence.

Advani was arrested in Bihar, leading to the collapse of the V.P. Singh government and fresh elections. The yatra is credited with building up the popularity of Advani and leading to the BJP taking power in New Delhi.