BJP national executive to focus on expanding base in 7 states

Expansion of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s base in states where it is weak, such as the South, and ways to propagate the work of the National Democratic Alliance government will be the main focus of the party's two-day national executive meeting beginning in Bengaluru on April 3, the first since it came to power last year.

The conclave will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will camp in Bengaluru for three days, party President Amit Shah and other top leaders, such as L K Advani.

The meeting of the recently-revamped National Executive will be preceded by the office-bearers' meeting on Thursday.

Besides its 111 members, some permanent and special invitees of the National Executive, including chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states, state presidents and all former chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of the BJP will also be present at the two-day meet beginning on Friday.

"We will be adopting an action plan to expand the party's base...particularly seven states -- Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala," BJP General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao told media persons.

The executive, which last met in August when it ratified the appointment of Amit Shah as party chief, was planned to be held in January but put off as Modi was preoccupied with preparations for the visit of United States President Barack Obama.

Rao said the action plan would also address the issue of making the party powerful and ‘Number One organisation’ in these states.

"In the last elections we have garnered significant percentage of votes, but becoming powerful and number one party in these weak states is the target with which we will be

going ahead. So, for that an action plan will be finalised in this meeting," he said.

The meeting would also discuss an action plan to reach out to people on the achievements of Narendra Modi government. "The meeting also will discuss how to reach out to people -- taking the achievements of the government under Narendra Modi, particularly pro-farmers and pro-youth. All these issues will be discussed threadbare and action plan be prepared," he said.   

Rao said before adopting an action plan, it would discuss the future consolidation of the BJP.

"After our party became the largest political outfit in the world by breaking the record previously held by the Communist Party of China, the meeting will discuss about the future consolidation of the party," he said.

The meeting would work out plans to celebrate next year the centenary of the Deendayal Upadhyaya, stalwart of erstwhile Jan Sangh, the forerunner of the present day BJP.

"He was a revered icon of integral humanism. He was an ideologue and a guiding force for an alternative model of governance and politics," Rao said. Karnataka BJP president Prahalad Joshi said Modi would address a public rally on April 3. He will arrive on Thursday evening and be in the city till April 4.

It will be the fourth time Karnataka is hosting the BJP national executive, he said.

Party sources said the meeting is likely to endorse two resolutions which will touch upon the ‘successful’ foreign policy initiatives of the government, its social security endeavours which found a mention in its first full-fledged budget besides the ‘political successes’ of the BJP since the last Lok Sabha polls.

The conclave will be opened with the inaugural address by the party chief. The last day will see the valedictory address by the prime minister, besides another address by party veteran L K Advani and Shah.

The last day will also see a political resolution that is expected to highlight key political, economic and social security issues in the country and steps taken by the government, the sources said.

With government going ahead with the Land Ordinance after its failure to get the new bill passed in Parliament amid stiff opposition by various parties, the BJP top brass is likely to impress upon its members to take across the message of the government that it is a pro-farmer step aimed at ensuring all-round development of rural India and ensure progress of farmers.

The government is keen that this message is taken down to the grassroots level, especially among the farmers, that the new bill is in favour of development and progress of farmers and the country.