Lok Sabha polls in mind, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) kick-starts a three-day brainstorming session here today to chart campaign strategies.
This will be the last session of the BJP’s national executive and council before the 2014 general elections.
The first day of the conclave coincides with a Congress meet, where party president Sonia Gandhi accused the BJP of dividing society on communal lines.
Nevertheless, the Congress not naming its vice-president Rahul Gandhi has given fresh ammo to the saffron party, which will try to reap the maximum benefits from the move.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said on Friday, “I think it’s the recognition of reality, since Congress knows they won’t form the government, so why announce a potential leader?”
The Congress had decided on Thursday that Gandhi would not be named the party’s prime minister candidate, but would lead the campaign for general elections.
In contrast to the Congress’ strategy, the BJP meet is expected to stress the ‘Modi for PM’ message. The party eyes 272 seats — the majority mark in Lok Sabha— in the upcoming elections. In 2009, the saffron party had 116 members in Parliament.
The BJP believes Modi’s projection as the PM nominee contributed to its recent success in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The BJP believes Modi’s projection as the PM nominee contributed to its recent success in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
However, concerned that the Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as the eye-catcher of the media, the deliberations of the BJP’s national executive on Friday and its national council on Saturday and Sunday would also focus on re-invigorating party workers.
Those who are expected to attend the meet include BJP president Rajnath Singh, party patriarch LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj (Opposition leader in Lok Sabha), Jaitley (Opposition leader in Rajya Sabha), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh CM), Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan CM), Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh CM) and Manohar Parrikar (Goa CM).
With IANS and ANI inputs