Modi, Rajnath to form BJP panels for 2014 polls

The BJP parliamentary board Monday said it will force the Congress to fight the Lok Sabha elections on the issues of "good governance and development", and authorised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Rajnath Singh to form panels to steer the campaign.

Briefing reporters after a board meeting here, party general secretary Ananth Kumar said panels will be formed to prepare a "charge sheet" against the UPA government, the BJP's manifesto and campaign programme. The party was ready for snap polls, he said.

"The parliamentary board has authorised Narendrabhai and party president Rajnath Singh to form the structure (of committees) and decide how to take forward the campaign," Ananth Kumar said.

He said the two leaders will form the committees in consultation with members of the parliamentary board.

Ananth Kumar said the BJP was "in election mode" and the parliamentary board will again meet in about a week.

He said the party will force the Congress to contest the election on issues of "good governance and development".

The BJP leader's remarks come against the backdrop of speculation that the party may seek to revive its Hindutva agenda and rake up the issue of the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

"We will make good governance and development national issues before people. The parliamentary board had decided to take these issues to the grassroots," he said.

He said the party was ready if there were snap polls.

Ananth Kumar said that the BJP will adopt a two-pronged strategy - of political campaign and organisational build up - for the polls.

"As part of political campaign, the party will highlight the failures of the UPA government while it will reach every booth as part of organisational strategy," he said.

He said the Congress and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) were under pressure and were breaking from within.

"The Congress does not want to face parliament. There is corruption, economic mismanagement, rise in prices and failure on every front. The Congress is not in a position to face issues of development and good governance," he said.

Ananth Kumar said the Congress had decided to bring an ordinance on food security as it was not sure of support of its own allies.

He said the government had not yet decided dates of the monsoon session of parliament which was normally held in the third week of July.

BJP sources said the decision to have a joint team of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh to form poll panels indicated a desire to adopt the path of collective decision making for the present.

The sources said the forthcoming assembly polls in five states - Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram - were the immediate priority for the party.

Party sources said party panels for the Lok Sabha polls could be announced at the next meeting of the parliamentary board.