The Hajuria-Khajuria chasm in the local BJP unit which resurfaced ahead of Diwali is likely to widen, now that the two camps are again preparing to enter the battlefield after lowering their guard while celebrating the festival of lights.

Desai, who was asked to explain why she chose to go against a decision taken by the party at its coordination committee meeting on the floor of the general board, has returned fire with fire. She has served a counter notice on party leader in SMC Natubhai Patel, who had sought her explanation within three days.

Desai not only took more than a week, but also asked Patel in a counter notice served on the New Year Day to withdraw the notice. Her reply said the party leader had defamed her by serving a notice, which took its toll on her image.

Desai and two others had questioned the logic of moving a proposal that sought to convert purpose of a Bhangi gali in Rustampura, allegedly to facilitate a builder, who owns the adjacent plot.

Desai, who could not attend the coordination committee meeting -- held before the general board to decide party line -- that day was against the proposal, along with former gutter committee chairman Ranjit Chimna and Arvind Rana. Each one of them was were served a notice.

Though she did not hint at the alleged favouritism, she was vocal enough to drive home her point. When she got the notice she was surprised and made no bones about her displeasure. Patel, on the other hand, claimed the trio were not given show cause notices, but only asked to explain why they absented themselves from the coordination committee meeting.

Desai, in her reply, maintained that her utterances were in keeping with the party tradition. She told Express Newsline on Sunday during her tenure as mayor and that of Fakirbhai Chauhan, the party had taken a decision that all councillors were free to express themselves on the floor of the house, irrespective of the fact whether it contradicted the party's stand.

The decision was taken in view of the brute majority the party enjoyed in SMC; there was virtually no opposition as the party won 98 of the 99 seats, the lone seat had gone to a party rebel. The Congress won one seat in a by-election later.

When contacted Patel claimed that he had received replies from a couple of councillors but refused to divulge the details saying ``it is an internal matter of the party.'' He reiterated it was only a letter. Desai, however, is not ready to buy the `letter theory' and said, ``The letter is nothing but a notice as it calls for an explanation within three days''.

Criticising the party leader for serving the notice on her, she said all the three councillors would take up the matter jointly with the party high command in a couple of days.

While Patel, who seems to have burnt his fingers by issuing the notices, claims that the ``matter is over'', Desai is certainly not impressed. For her, it has just begun.