The Bharatiya Janata Party sought to address its internal crisis of credibility and convince party workers about the recent decisions of the party and the government at the two-day National Executive meeting that concluded here on Saturday afternoon.
The proceedings saw the Central leadership give presentations to National Executive members on issues seen as contentious within and outside the party. The party plans to conduct a massive perception management exercise, projecting the Narendra Modi government as pro-farmer and pro-poor.
The Delhi defeat and the criticism over the Land Bill led to low morale among party workers. Sources said the BJP needed to explain to its cadres the party’s decision to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir with the Peoples Democratic Party by keeping Article 370 out of the common minimum programme.
The government’s proposed land acquisition law dominated the National Executive meet. “There was a detailed presentation on the Land Bill by Gopal Aggarwal while Nitin Gadkari referred to the Bill in detail during the discussion on the political resolution. I also referred to the two issues [the land Bill and BJP’s alliance in Jammu and Kashmir],” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. Party general secretary Ram Madhav made a presentation on the Jammu and Kashmir alliance. “The members were told particularly about the common agenda and the political context in which the alliance has taken place,” Mr Jaitley said.
MPs speaking out of turn deflect attention: Jaitley
At the BJP’s two-day National Executive meeting here, party President Amit Shah said the party would have to act with maturity and accept the defeat in the Delhi assembly elections along with the wins, a leader said. Both the Prime Minister and Mr. Shah lauded the party workers for the BJP’s successes in their speeches.
On the decision to form an alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, “The party very strongly endorsed all decisions of the government, including the alliance government formed in J&K. The mandate decided the course of the coalition…You need peace for developmental politics and conventional politics won’t deliver that,” he added.
Sources quoted party general secretary Ram Madhav as saying that the party had achieved a lot in Jammu and Kashmir by forging the alliance .
Mr. Jaitley also said that individual MPs or leaders speaking out of turn on controversial issues deflected attention from the achievements of the government. Asked if the matter came up for discussion, he said: “You don’t need a discussion on this. You need clarity. The government’s image regarding its programmes is very good. Then a controversy over any statement is unnecessary. All responsible karyakartas should know this,” Mr. Jaitley said.
Advani stays silent
While the party evaded a direct response for three days on whether party patriarch L.K. Advani would speak at the National Executive, sources said Mr Aadvani had told the party he would not address the gathering. Though party leaders continued to refer to him as the party’s Marg Darshak, Mr Advani refused to relent. In his address, Mr Modi credited Mr. Advani for building the party and thanked him for its successes, sources said.
Mr Advani’s address had been a part of the proceedings since the party was formed in 1980. He had missed only one such meeting since he founded the party along with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former party president Murli Manohar Joshi. The three were dropped from the party’s highest decision-making body, the Parliamentary Board, in August last year and included in a ceremonial Guidance Council, which has never met.
In May 2013, Mr. Advani had expressed displeasure over the party’s projection of Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial choice by staying away from the Goa National Executive.
