BJP leaders interact on current issues

The Balakot air strike and the development agenda of the Modi government figured Wednesday in a meeting of BJP leaders, who included Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad besides its spokespersons.

Official sources termed the meeting as part of the party's preparation for the Lok Sabha election and described it as a routine interaction to help the ruling alliance drive the narrative as polls approach.

With opposition parties and the BJP involved in a political slugfest following the strike, the saffron party believes that the issue has given prominence to its plank of nationalism in the election discourse.

There was no official statement on the details of the meeting.

Jaitley is also the head of the publicity committee constituted by the party for the general election, expected to be held in April-May.

Sources said all prevailing issues figured in the Wednesday meeting.

Jaitley said he and other government ministers will be regularly holding such meetings in the coming days as their official engagements will decline once the model code of conduct comes into effect following the announcement of polls, the sources said.

The Election Commission is expected to announce the election schedule in the next few days.

Top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its president Amit Shah, have cited the Indian Air Force strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan to underscore the government's firm response to terrorism.

They have also sought to corner the Congress, accusing it of lowering the morale of security forces by seeking proof of the high death toll of terrorists in the strike, as claimed by several BJP leaders.

Congress and other opposition parties have in turn accused the BJP of politicising the sacrifices of armed forces.