BJP to brainstorm on poll strategy at party conclave

The Bharatiya Janata Party will chalk out a road-map for evolving its strategy to project itself as an alternative in the next general elections, at the meeting of its National Executive and National Council starting today.

While the BJP national executive will hold a closed-door meeting, its National Council, a broader body having members from across the country, will hold its two-day meeting on Saturday and Sunday.

The conclave is crucial as it will be the first such meeting after the election of Rajnath Singh as party chief.

During the next three days, the party leadership will discuss a host of issues including the internal security situation in the wake of Hyderabad blasts, scams including the VVIP chopper deal, economic slowdown and Indo-Pak ties.

The BJP National Executive and Council will also examine details of how to take on the UPA government by highlighting its "failures" on the economic and security front.

Sources said significant decisions like appointment of the new team of central office-bearers and elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan to the Central Parliamentary Board are likely to take place after the conclave.

These issues are likely to come up for discussion informally during the meet, sources said.

BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the meeting will start with the address of party president Rajnath Singh and will discuss the economic, social and political issues of the country.

Naqvi said the national executive and nation council meetings will have four and nine sessions, respectively. "In three days of the meeting we will discuss the strategy for upcoming elections with the motto 'Sushasan sankalp BJP vikalp' (BJP is promise to good governance).

Naqvi said the economic, social, political situation and challenges before the country will be discussed in the Council and executive meeting.

Issues like graft, inflation, internal and national security will also be discussed along with "antyodaya and good governance", he added.

The National Council, will pass two resolutions. There will be a resolution on the political situation prevailing in the country and will deal with the "policy paralysis" within the UPA government and the "grim" internal security scenario.

It will mainly focus on terrorism in the wake of the Hyderabad blasts. The government's allegations of BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh sponsoring terrorism, and the Ram Setu issue are also likely to figure in the discussions.

All members of the National Council and executive, MPs and MLAs in state assemblies, state office bearers, national co-ordinators of morchas, co-coordinators, all district presidents and general secretaries among others will participate in the Council meeting.

The national executive meeting, with about 200 members, will be held in NDMC convention centre and the national Council comprising of over 2,000 leaders will be held in Talkatora Indoor stadium.

The Economic Resolution will point out the "wrong economic policies" of the UPA government which has led to price rise, fall in GDP growth to 5 per cent, plight of farmers, lack of foreign investment in multi-brand retail sector among other issues.