01-09-2008, 08:24 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Jumbo BJP panel to please all</b>- 19-member committee for state polls and 2009 general electionsÂ
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SANJAY K. JHA
Narendra Modi greets L.K. Advani at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Delhi on Tuesday. Picture by Rajesh KumarÂ
New Delhi, Jan. 8: The BJP has formed a 19-member super body to manage the nine state polls this year and the general elections, due in 2009.
The central election management committee, announced today, may help douse feelings among some that shadow Prime Minister L.K. Advani is looking to sideline party president Rajnath Singh.
The BJP wants to nudge its allies into action, too. It has deputed Sushma Swaraj to coordinate with the Nationalist Democratic Alliance partners.
The committee, headed by Rajnath, includes<b> Jaswant Singh, M.M. Joshi, M.Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma, V.K. Malhotra, Bal Apte, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar, Gopinath Munde, Thawarchand Gehlot, Vinay Katiyar, Yashwant Sinha, M.A. Naqvi, Arun Shourie, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Balbir Punj and Vinay Sahashra Budhe.</b>
It was set up on the suggestion of a core group assigned by Advani to prepare a plan for the polls.
The committee will hold its first meeting on January 15, to be followed by an NDA meeting around January 25. Sushma said all partners, including Mamata Banerjee, would be invited.
George Fernandes will stay NDA convener, Sushma clarified. She said that since Fernandes had not been keeping well, she would be coordinating with the allies.
Asked if the party was peaking too early ahead of the general elections, Sushma said: âIt is late, in fact. We will fight elections the whole year, beginning with Karnataka within a month or two.â
The buzz in the party is that the huge panel has been formed to counter allegations that Advani has been ignoring Rajnath and trying to raise a parallel structure. Some said senior leaders were upset at being left out of strategy sessions at Advaniâs residence.
The super committee includes most leaders who are not seen as close to Advani.
Advani would, of course, like to work with his most trusted aides but felt it was important to present a united face. The speculation on Rajnath being sidelined ensured that the party president would head the committee.
The inclusion of Apte, Joshi and Yashwant is meant to signal that Advani is keen to take everybody along.
Asked why Narendra Modiâs name was missing, Sushma explained that no chief minister had been included.
âWe have some rules and norms. Chief ministers are not made part of such committees,â she said, adding that there was no bar on consulting any leader on important issues.
Sushma said fortnight-long consultations would be held with state party leaders to chalk out a strategy. âWe will discuss the prevailing political situation in every state and decide on alliances and strategies. This exercise will be completed soon.â
She added that Advani, though not a member of the committee, would attend all its meetings. The panel members will be allocated specific work at the January 15 meeting.
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link
SANJAY K. JHA
Narendra Modi greets L.K. Advani at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Delhi on Tuesday. Picture by Rajesh KumarÂ
New Delhi, Jan. 8: The BJP has formed a 19-member super body to manage the nine state polls this year and the general elections, due in 2009.
The central election management committee, announced today, may help douse feelings among some that shadow Prime Minister L.K. Advani is looking to sideline party president Rajnath Singh.
The BJP wants to nudge its allies into action, too. It has deputed Sushma Swaraj to coordinate with the Nationalist Democratic Alliance partners.
The committee, headed by Rajnath, includes<b> Jaswant Singh, M.M. Joshi, M.Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma, V.K. Malhotra, Bal Apte, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar, Gopinath Munde, Thawarchand Gehlot, Vinay Katiyar, Yashwant Sinha, M.A. Naqvi, Arun Shourie, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Balbir Punj and Vinay Sahashra Budhe.</b>
It was set up on the suggestion of a core group assigned by Advani to prepare a plan for the polls.
The committee will hold its first meeting on January 15, to be followed by an NDA meeting around January 25. Sushma said all partners, including Mamata Banerjee, would be invited.
George Fernandes will stay NDA convener, Sushma clarified. She said that since Fernandes had not been keeping well, she would be coordinating with the allies.
Asked if the party was peaking too early ahead of the general elections, Sushma said: âIt is late, in fact. We will fight elections the whole year, beginning with Karnataka within a month or two.â
The buzz in the party is that the huge panel has been formed to counter allegations that Advani has been ignoring Rajnath and trying to raise a parallel structure. Some said senior leaders were upset at being left out of strategy sessions at Advaniâs residence.
The super committee includes most leaders who are not seen as close to Advani.
Advani would, of course, like to work with his most trusted aides but felt it was important to present a united face. The speculation on Rajnath being sidelined ensured that the party president would head the committee.
The inclusion of Apte, Joshi and Yashwant is meant to signal that Advani is keen to take everybody along.
Asked why Narendra Modiâs name was missing, Sushma explained that no chief minister had been included.
âWe have some rules and norms. Chief ministers are not made part of such committees,â she said, adding that there was no bar on consulting any leader on important issues.
Sushma said fortnight-long consultations would be held with state party leaders to chalk out a strategy. âWe will discuss the prevailing political situation in every state and decide on alliances and strategies. This exercise will be completed soon.â
She added that Advani, though not a member of the committee, would attend all its meetings. The panel members will be allocated specific work at the January 15 meeting.
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