With a picture frame of second RSS chief Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar strategically placed on the table in front of him, Shekhawat addressed a crowded press conference during the day and put the BJP in a spot by demanding a probe into “the Rs 22,000-crore scam during the previous Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan,” a demand originally made by the Congress in its election manifesto. By evening, Shekhawat was holding forth “on the significance of allies in the coming elections” and “how he had made three of his ministers resign because they wanted to take party in the Ram Janmabhoomi stir” in early 90s.

“He may not be technically in the BJP, but he is definitely one of the tallest leaders in the party and his voice means a lot in north India,” Rajasthan BJP leader Narpat Singh Rajvi, who’s also Shekhawat’s son-in-law, told The Indian Express.

After venting his ire at the BJP president for ridiculing his move to contest the coming parliamentary elections — Shekhawat said Rajnath “was not even born when I started my innings in politics” — he met Rajnath Singh after Jaswant Singh took the former vice-president to his place where Rajnath was already waiting. Shekhawat was, however, far from satisfied with the meeting, and reportedly wanted “firm assurances on Rajasthan”. He was also dissatisfied by Rajnath’s explanation that “he bore no ill-will towards the elder leader”.

A much embarrassed BJP was counting its losses but hoped “that the controversy would die its own death in a few days”. “Shekhawatji is a senior leader and president of our party has already said whatever he had to,” said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad when asked about Shekhawat’s assertions.

Shekhawat was, however, in no mood to relent as he regretted his decision to help install Raje as the Rajasthan chief minister and alleged the role of money to buy party tickets in the recently-concluded Assembly elections. “Tickets beche gaye hain, paise ka durupyog hua hai. BJP ka shudhikaran hona chahiye (Tickets have been sold and money power has been employed. There’s a need to cleanse the BJP),” he said. “The role of money power and casteism have led to irrelevance of democracy. This should be a matter of concern for the entire political system.”

Shekhawat had his parting shot ready when he was receiving visitors, including community leaders and BJP MPs like Bangaru Laxman at his Aurangzeb Road residence in the evening. “My moves may harm a few individuals, but it will ultimately help the country,” he said. Asked if there should be a retirement age in politics, the 86-year-old leader's reply was an emphatic “no”.