By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Executive meets in Mumbai Thursday-Friday with plenty on the agenda, a key issue being how to bring order to its own house.
Even as party leaders discuss issues ranging from presidential elections and the Congress-led government’s failures, they are determined to put an end to fissures within.
“There are some small differences in the party leadership here and there. This meeting will be a platform to air the grievances and sort out all issues,” a party leader told IANS on condition of anonymity.
Some of the issues are more than evident.
In Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi remains miffed with party president Nitin Gadkari for giving Sanjay Joshi, his rival, a place in the decision making National Executive.
Modi has indicated he may abstain from the Mumbai meet. In what some see as an attempt to cut Modi to size, the BJP has invited Keshubhai Patel, who is now targeting Modi, to the National Executive.
In Karnataka, former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is at war with incumbent Sadanand Gowda, who was earlier his confidant. The two have now fallen apart.
In Rajasthan, also a BJP stronghold, another former chief minister, Vasundhara Raje, is pitted against Gulabchand Kataria, a party leader.
And in Jharkhand, BJP nominee S.S. Ahluwalia lost the Rajya Sabha election after ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) refused to back him.
While admitting that there are plenty of internal issues to be tackled, BJP leaders are seeking to pin down the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Gadkari is expected to get an extension for another three years in Mumbai.
This will be the first National Executive meet after the last round of assembly elections that saw the BJP take power in Goa, lose Uttarakhand narrowly and get routed in a state that matters: Uttar Pradesh.
After its initial opposition to Hamid Ansari angered ally Janata Dal-United (JD-U), the BJP has not revealed its mind on who it wants to support in next month’s presidential polls.