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Jharkhand shadow over BJP's meet

Neena Vyas

Party may find it counter-productive to harp on Vande Mataram issue

NEW DELHI: The Jharkhand crisis is threatening to overshadow the Bharatiya Janata Party's national executive committee meeting starting in Dehra Dun on Thursday. The party was hoping to boost its electoral prospects in the hill State of Uttaranchal, where elections are due in February next, but even as the executive meets for three days, the fate of its Jharkhand Government hangs in the balance.

Another issue highlighted by the party in the last few weeks is that of Vande Mataram. Party president Rajnath Singh is expected to speak at length on this subject in his opening remarks at the executive meeting.

However, the view of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on the issue is not very clear.

SGPC opposition goes

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh Makkar was on Tuesday reported to have opposed the singing of Vande Mataram by the Sikhs. Late on Wednesday night, he retracted his statement. The last word on this issue may not yet have been said by the SGPC.

The Shiromani Akali Dal is a partner in the National Democratic Alliance, and with elections in Punjab looming ahead, the BJP and the SAD are expected to go in for seat-sharing and a joint campaign. In that context, the BJP may find it counter-productive to project the issue.

With Mr. Rajnath Singh willing to go the whole way to meet the demands of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on so-called `Hindutva' issues, and some other senior leaders advising caution and suggesting that the party corner the United Progressive Alliance on bread and butter issues, the executive may try to find a balance between both the views.

Party leaders said three resolutions would be adopted by the executive — one on internal security, including terrorism, naxalism and insurgency; a second on the agrarian crisis, which would include suicides by farmers; and a third on the rising prices of essential food items. Party general secretary Arun Jaitley has already said the executive would focus on issues that directly affected the daily lives of the people.

No political resolution

For the first time, the party will not adopt a separate political resolution, as politics would be reflected in the opening speech by Mr. Singh. The executive will also hear from the party's State presidents in the four States expected to go to the polls early next year on what the prospects for the party are. Senior leaders are themselves wary of saying anything positive about the prospects in Uttar Pradesh, the most crucial of the four States where the next round of polls are to be held. However, they are upbeat about making the best of the anti-incumbency factor in Uttaranchal and Punjab, both now ruled by the Congress.

A public meeting to be addressed by senior leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani on the second day of the executive will, in effect, be an election rally that will kick off the party's campaign in Uttaranchal.

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