An extended meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board here reviewed the party’s preparedness in the run up to the Assembly elections scheduled for October/November and the general election early next year.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has been given charge of the election campaign, was the focus of attention. Nothing was decided at the meeting.
Mr. Modi is yet to finalise the campaign committee members. Indications are that he has begun the process of consultations with senior leaders and the names could be announced before the board’s next meeting on July 8.
The Gujarat Chief Minister is keen to ensure that the top brass of the party is on board with his campaign strategy. Mr. Modi, whose appointment as the campaign chief was resented by some senior leaders, has to walk the extra mile to win them over.
The CBI charge sheet on the killing of Ishrat Jahan in a joint operation by the Gujarat police and the Intelligence Bureau and the Ordinance to implement the Food Security Bill also came up for discussion. Like most Opposition parties, the BJP too has flayed the government for taking the Ordinance route when the monsoon session of Parliament is only a few weeks away.
As for the Ishrat Jahan case, though there is a sense of relief that the charge sheet has not named either Mr. Modi or the then Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, the party is sticking to the line that it is yet another instance of misuse of the CBI by the ruling party.
