12:45 pm: No problems, says BJP
The BJP is expectedly putting a brave face and said that there were no differences in the party over tickets being handed out.
Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said that there were "only discussions" taking place in the party and there were no differences, contrary to what reports said.
"Advaniji is our seniormost leader in the party. We look up to him and there are no differences," she said.
12:30 pm: Jaswant Singh takes up cudgels, threatens to contest as independent
Jaswant Singh has also been among the leaders who has been unhappy with the seat being given to him and has now reportedly given an ultimatum to the party. Singh, currently a MP from Darjeeling, has refused to go back to his constituency for re-election.
According to a CNN-IBN report, Singh has told the party top brass that he wanted a ticket from Rajasthan failing which he would contest as an independent candidate.
A senior leader, who was briefly ejected from the party, Singh may not be one of the biggest names in the party any more, but will the BJP come down with an iron hand on one of its senior leaders? It would definitely give the Congress something to go to town with.
12.23 pm: RSS asks Advani to respect party decision
The RSS has reportedly asked LK Advani to respect the party decision that he contest from Gandhinagar, which all but finalises the fact that the leadership will not accede to the senior leaders request that he be allowed to contest from Bhopal.
Arun Jaitley is now reportedly at the party patriarch's house in an attempt to convince him to accept the party leadership's decision.
10.32 am: Modi fails to convince Advani, Sushma's turn to try
By all accounts, Narendra Modi's meeting with Advani has failed to cut any ice with the party patriarch. So Sushma Swaraj has been dispatched to his residence in an effort to placate him further. This is Swaraj's second meeting with Advani. In a bid to placate him over the party's decision, Swaraj had met the senior BJP last night.
Venkiah Naidu has also reached Advani's residence.
Political analysts say that despite this entire placation excercise, it is very unlikely that Advani will get to contest from Bhopal, as it has been made abundantly clear that no matter what the stature of party leaders, that they will have to abide by the decisions of the party and its central elections committee.
Modi leaving Advani's residence: PTI
Modi was at Advani's residence for about half-an-hour apparently to persuade him to contest from Gandhinagar, which he has represented for five times in Lok Sabha.
Though it is not clear as to what transpired at the meeting, sources said Advani is adamant on contesting from Bhopal, saying that he be given a chance to exercise his option to select his seat just as other top party leaders like Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Modi.
10.22 am: Modi fails to convince Advani to contest from Gandhinagar?
Though no official word has come out of what transpired during the meeting, reports are now claiming that Advani is sticking to his stand that he would prefer to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Bhopal and not Gandhinagar.
9.55 am: Modi requests Advani to contest from Gandhinagar?
The latest report coming in from the Modi- Advani meeting, is that the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate has requested Advani to contest from Gandhinagar and not Bhopal as he wanted.
However according to television reports, the senior leader is 'adamant' that he wants to contest from Bhopal.
More details as we get them.
9.32 am: Advani tells BJP that both Rajnath, Modi got to choose seats
A very miffed LK Advani has reportedly told the BJP that both Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh got to choose their seats, and that the same courtesy was not extended to him.
Advani had reportedly said that he made it very clear that Bhopal had been his preferred constituency. He had reportedly said that he felt as though the candidature from Gandhinagar had been thrust upon him.
The BJP patriarch is currently in a meeting with the party prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi.
9.00 am: Modi visits Advani following Gandhinagar ticket storm
BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has reached veteran leader LK Advani's home in an attempt to defuse the situation that has arisen following his displeasiure over being asked to contest from Gandhinagar.
Advani had left the final decision on his candidature to BJP President Rajnath Singh, but had expressed his desire to contest from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and not from Gujarat.
PTI
Modi's meeting with the veteran leader comes on the back of hour long meetings with Sushma Swaraj and former president Nitin Gadkari.
Advani had reportedly said that he would take a final decision on contesting only after the candidate for Bhopal is declared.
8.30 am: Will Advani refuse to contest from Gandhinagar?
The BJP is now faced with the rather awkward possibility that its veteran leader LK Advani could refuse to contest from Gandhinagar, as decided by the BJP Central Election Committee.
Hectic discussions preceded the decision on Advani at the day-long meeting of the BJP Central Election Committee from which the 86-year-old party patriarch kept away, citing reasons that he did not want to be part of confabulations involving his constituency.
Advani had conveyed to party president Rajnath Singh that he wanted to shift to Bhopal from Gandhinagar which he has represented five times in the Lok Sabha.
Late last night, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari went to his residence in a bid to persuade him to accept Gandhinagar. Advani had insisted that he should have the right to choose his constituency like many other leaders who have been allocated their preferred seats, sources said.
Ever since the elevation of Modi in the party hierarchy, Advani has been sulking and his desire to shift from Gandhinagar is seen as a reflection of the unease in his relationship with Modi.
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