statesman news service
NEW DELHI, 6 JUNE: If the posters in and around the venue of the BJP national executive meeting in Goa are any indication, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi appears set to take the centre-stage at the meeting beginning on 8 June.
On 7 June, BJP office-bearers would meet and take stock of issues confronting the party leadership and the proposed strategy for the coming assembly elections in five states and the general elections scheduled for next year.
At the closed-door meeting of senior party leaders and office-bearers, some of them could do some plain speaking and raise controversial issues like the initial silence of the party on the cricket fixing scandal.
“The allegation that BJP elements in BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) connived with or had a good understanding with Congress leaders in the cricket body has left our ally JD-U disturbed,” a key BJP leader said.
“Leaders these days both within BJP and outside are talking more about IPL and cricket than issues concerning the common man,” veteran party leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi told The Statesman. 
The focus at the Goa conclave would be also on party unity. “It is most essential that we put up a united front and if the impression is gaining ground that it is not a united front, we should try and correct that and move forward together,” BJP leader Mr Yashwant Sinha said here today.
Other leaders, too, believe that the BJP has not done enough either to project the right issues or show a united face of the party.
The BJP is likely to pass strong political and economic resolutions in adherence to the suggestions made by the Gujarat chief minister.
Party sources said a strongly-worded resolution could be passed on internal security and the Maoist menace.
“It is time the other face of the Congress is shown,” said a key party strategist, alleging that Congress leaders have called themselves ‘sipahis’ of the tribal community without  understanding the import of such statements in Maoist-infested regions. “They have never taken a strong stand against the Maoist menace,” he said.
 One party leader spoke about the ‘ambition-crazy’ leaders harming the Opposition party. He said, “It’s not internal democracy but rather misplaced ambitions of individuals that have hit the party.”
Against the backdrop of the party cadres’ clamour for announcing Mr Modi as the PM candidate or at least naming him as chairman of the election panel, Mr Sinha said no such announcement is likely in Goa as a meeting of the party’s highest policy making body, the central parliamentary board, is not scheduled.
“The national executive of the BJP is too large a body to discuss leadership issues. The BJP has already made it very clear that these issues will be decided in the parliamentary board,” Mr Sinha said. However, party insiders dropped broad hints that the office-bearers meeting tomorrow could take a crucial decision.
The clean sweep by the BJP in the bypolls in Gujarat, wresting two Lok Sabha seats and four Assembly seats have put Modi detractors on the defensive. Peace has also been bought between Mr Modi and Mr L K Advani, who has not been so enthusiastic in accepting Mr Modi as the ‘most popular leader’.
It is not clear whether the BJP would also discuss other individuals like Mr Ram Jethmalani and Mr B S Yeddyurappa.

‘Coalition not a compulsion, but religion’

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PANAJI, 6 JUNE: The BJP today said the coalition for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls is not a compulsion for the party, but it is a “religion”.
To a query, the party also said there is no pressure from the NDA partners to keep Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi away for the next parliamentary polls.
“Coalition is not a compulsion for us. We have proved the credibility and stability of a coalition during our erstwhile tenure. We consider alliance as a religion,” BJP national Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. The BJP is all set to hold its office bearers’ and National Executive meeting in Goa from tomorrow. Mr Naqvi recalled that different questions were raised when the NDA had come to power under the leadership of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“But we proved our credibility and stability by running the government through common minimum programme and agenda for development,” he added.
Mr Naqvi said the NDA alliance will be stronger and will be expanded in the coming days. “We will inform you at the right time (about the expansion of NDA),” the BJP leader said.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier expressed his reservations over projecting Mr Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate. pti