More than three months ago, the BJP leadership was cocky enough to believe that a Lok Sabha victory would be as easy as changing a light bulb. When the results did not even come remotely up to their expectations, the party embarked on a series of introspection. Last week's Chintan Baithak in sunny Goa was one such experiment.

LAL KRISHNA ADVANI The leader of Opposition and former deputy prime minister has contested five Lok Sabha elections and won all. He was the president of Jana Sangh and later the BJP national president for three terms. ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE The NDA chairperson, chairman of the BJP Parliamentary Party and former prime minister (three terms) has contested 11 Lok Sabha elections and lost only once.

Despite the cliche-ridden 10 point agenda that was released at the end of the session, there is not an iota of evidence to prove that the 27 wise men and two ladies who took time off to introspect have come away any wiser.

If the four-day meeting agenda included chalking out strategy for the five states going to polls in the next few months, it made little sense leaving out Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang or BJP leaders in Haryana. Maharashtra is due for polls in two months, but Gopinath Munde, the former deputy chief minister, was not invited. Neither were any of the state BJP chiefs. However, Uttar Pradesh had six invitees waxing eloquent about winning back the state.

It was a tried and somewhat tired leadership that gathered at Dona Paula in Goa. Apart from the Vajpayee-Advani-Naidu troika, all five general secretaries and seven of the eight vice-presidents were present. Syed Shahnawaz Hussain was the only secretary who was invited.

When they finally got down to business, the leaders indulged in flip-flops that would have left a trapeze artist green with envy. At its June national executive in Mumbai, the BJP had virtually decided to revert to hardline Hindutva that brought it from the fringes of national politics to centrestage in less than a decade-and-a half. The Goa meeting ended with the BJP replacing the hardline Hindutva slogan with the cliches of bharatiyata (nationalism) and vikas (development). In fact, Pramod Mahajan noted at the Baithak that this was the first time the party's tally had come down since its disastrous debut in 1984. There was also much talk about troops deserting the party at its most crucial hour, but no one even seemed interested in finding out why.

If there is one message that came out loud and clear from Goa, it is that the BJP has not learnt from its recent mistakes. The future may well hold a few more nasty surprises.

M. VENKAIAH NAIDU	MURLI MANOHAR JOSHI	NARENDRA MODI
The BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP has won one assembly and lost one Lok Sabha poll.	The Rajya Sabha MP has contested five Lok Sabha polls and won four.	The Gujarat CM and RSS pracharak has won both the assembly elections he has fought.
VASUNDHARA RAJE	RAMAN SINGH	ARJUN MUNDA
The Rajasthan CM has contested seven polls (two assembly and five Lok Sabha) and won all.	The Chhattisgarh CM and third time MLA has fought five elections, including one to the Lok Sabha.	The Jharkhand CM has contested two assembly polls and won both. His first win was on a JMM ticket.
MANOHAR PARRIKAR	KALYAN SINGH	MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI
The Goa CM has contested three assembly and one Lok Sabha poll and lost once.	The BJP vice-president and Lok Sabha MP has fought 12 polls and won 11 of them.	The party vice-president and Rajya Sabha MP has fought three polls and won once.
BAL APTE	SUSHIL MODI	BABULALMARANDI
The BJP vice-president, Rajya Sabha MP and RSS member has never contested a popular election.	The BJP vice-president and Lok Sabha MP has fought four polls, including three to the assembly, and won all.	The BJP vice-president and Lok Sabha MP has contested six polls and won four.
THAWARCHAND GEHLOT	PRAMOD MAHAJAN	ARUN JAITLEY
The BJP vice-president and Lok Sabha MP has fought eight polls.	The general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP has contested three Lok Sabha polls, won once.	The general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP has never contested a popular election, except DUSU and DDCA polls.
RAJNATH SINGH	SANJAY JOSHI	SHIVRAJ SINGH CHAUHAN
The general secretary, Rajya Sabha MP and former CM has contested five polls, winning three.	The party general secretary and RSS pracharak has stayed away from electoral politics.	The general secretary and Lok Sabha MP has contested seven polls, losing one.
SHAHNAWAZ HUSSAIN	SUSHMA SWARAJ	VIJAY KUMAR MALHOTRA
The youngest office-bearer and BJP's Muslim face has won two Lok Sabha polls and lost one.	The deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha has contested nine elections in three states.	The deputy leader in the Lok Sabha has contested six Lok Sabha polls, winning four.
YASHWANT SINHA	MADAN DAS DEVI	PYARELAL KHANDELWAL
BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP. Fought five elections, lost two, including E-2004.	The RSS joint general secretary liaises between the BJP and the Sangh.	The Rajya Sabha MP and former BJP vice-president has fought two Lok Sabha polls, winning one.
KALRAJ MISHRA	ANANTH KUMAR	PAWAN KUMAR DHUMAL
The Rajya Sabha MP has never fought an election. He was a nominated MLC in Uttar Pradeshl.	The Lok Sabha MP and Karnataka chief has won all the four Lok Sabha polls he has contested.	The former Himachal Pradesh CM has contested six elections and won four.