Mathur To Head Coordination Panel

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president J P Mathur is likely to head the party's proposed panel to coordinate between the party and the government, according to some BJP leaders. The panel which was mooted by the BJP's four-member committee headed by party vice-president Jana Krishnamurthy is likely to be a full-fledged cell, including some retired civil servants.

The panel will also coordinate similar panels in states where the BJP is in power.

Mathur's recent elevation as party vice-president was due to party president Kushabhau Thakre's calculation that the person heading the panel must have a strong position within the party, a party office-bearer said.

Till such a panel is formally announced, Mathur has started functioning as the party's point man dealing with various demands from the government, including transfers and postings. Thakre routes to Mathur almost all the representations he receives from party workers, the BJP leader said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leaders feel that the person to handle the job must be senior in the party, and should know how to get things from the government. Mathur is a senior pracharak, well known in the party and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh.

BJP secretary R K Sinha has also emerged as an important person in the party office because of his closeness to the Bharatiya Janata Party ministers.

However, party workers describe him as biased. He does not encourage party workers to open up, one party leader said.

There are instances when a party worker met Mathur after Sinha refused to entertain his requests for a government favour. However, those close to Sinha say that he is always preoccupied with the party's routine work.

Handling workers complaints need a full-time person, one of them said.

Mathur's other responsibility as chairman of the party's disciplinary action committee would not interfere with his responsibilities as the head of the proposed panel, he said.