Bjp Changes Focus Of Meet, To Debate Options

The focus of the BJPs national executive, now slated to meet in Delhi on Saturday and Sunday, has changed in view of the current crisis facing the Deve Gowda government.

The national executive will discuss the partys various options a mid-term poll, making a fresh bid for power at the Centre, or to abstain during the confidence vote. All these views are represented in the party.

According to the earlier schedule, the meetings focus was strengthening organisational discipline and making fresh efforts to befriend new regional allies, particularly from the south. The earlier executive meeting, along with the partys three-day national council meeting, was scheduled at Thiruvananthapuram from April 2. The council meting has been postponed indefinitely.

As most BJP leaders seem to be possessed with the changing political situation, the meeting is likely to witness a hot debate on the partys plan of action.

There is a general view in the party that a mid-term poll would be advantageous to the BJP. Senior leaders, including party president LK Advani, is reported to favour this view. However, former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and some party general secretaries hold that the party should try to form an alternative BJP-led coalition government.

The BJPs allies, namely the Samata Party, the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have also indicated that the BJP should try to form an alternative government. On the BJPs behalf, they are in fact trying to establish contacts with some of the United Front partners, a BJP office-bearer said.

Although the BJP has indicated it would not stake claim, some party leaders say that the party would stake its claim for forming a government only when there is a vacancy. In case the Gowda government falls, the party would make a fresh assessment of the situation and stake claim to prevent the Congress from being invited, the BJP leader said. However, the executive meetings political resolution is unlikely to make this overt.

Other important issues like the partys organisational problems, the present economic scenario and Indias foreign relations are sure to be ignored, a senior BJP leader said.

The party would not like to dilute the impact of the Virar conclave by presenting a report on organisational issues at this executive meeting, as most of the executive committee members would be more interested in debating the pros and cons of the political developments, a BJP office bearer said.

The five general secretaries have not met for finalising the draft on the Virar follow up. They were supposed to meet before the executive meeting, he pointed out. The executive meeting is also unlikely to waste time debating the countrys economic situation and then passing a formal resolution, although it may discuss the impact of the present situation on the economy. Since the present governments survival is at stake, it would be futile to discuss its policies, the BJP leader said, admitting that brief notes may be prepared on the economic situation.

In all there would be only four sessions, two of which would be devoted fully to the current political situation.

The session after the inaugural one is likely to discuss the possibility of a nation wide tie up with the BSP, in the context of the understanding in Uttar Pradesh.

Some BJP leaders hold that in case of a mid-term poll, this alliance could work miracles for the BJP.