BJP president Nitin Gadkari seems on his way back to becoming the party chief for a second consecutive term. Most BJP leaders say he will be elected once again in the second half of January, after half of the elections to state units are over as per technical requirements.

There is another theory too: the party is waiting till after January 15, as the month preceding Makar Sankranti was "inauspicious". While most leaders put his re-election between Makar Sankranti (January 14) and Republic Day, one even suggested a date: January 18.

Gadkari was in the eye of the storm after reports of business irregularities against his Purti group, with voices of discontent coming up even within the party. Many leaders wanted him out.

Leaders like LK Advani were believed to be unhappy with his being in line for a second term.

But Gadkari weathered the crisis all through, with the RSS standing firmly behind him. Chartered accountant and RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy looked into the papers of Gadkari's Purti group and gave him a clean chit.

“Gadkari is on his way back, and it doesn't matter if some leaders think differently,” a BJP leader told HT. There are speculations that the national council of the party to mark Gadkari’s second term will be held in Pune, sometime in February.