BJP executive to discuss party chief’s term at meet

NEW DELHI, NOV 2: He BJP national executive, which commences its two-day meeting here on Wednesday, is likely to take up for consideratio...

NEW DELHI, NOV 2: He BJP national executive, which commences its two-day meeting here on Wednesday, is likely to take up for consideration a proposal to extend the party president’s term.

The proposal has been formulated by the Jana Krishnamurthy committee formed last year to review the party constitution. As per the existing provision, the party president can hold the post for a period of two years. His term can be extended by another two years, meaning thereby that he hold two two-year terms, but not more.

If the proposal made by the committee chaired by party vice-president Jana Krishnamurthy gets the nod, then the president can hold the post for a three-year term. "It can be extended for another three years, if the party so feels," a senior BJP leader disclosed.

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According to him, the proposal was, as a corollary, likely to be extended to the state units. "But it will first have to be passed by the national executive before being approved by the party’s national council," he pointed out. There wasalso, he added, a proposal to curtail the poll schedule from the present period of six months to three months. Besides this, the BJP will take "corrective measures" in its UP unit after the national executive meeting.

"We have not discussed the UP issue so far. We will analyse reasons for party’s debacle in the State at the national executive. Corrective measures, if needed, would be taken only after that," said party general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu. UP CM Kalyan Singh, whose fate is likely to be decided at the national executive, called on the Home Minister Advani on Tuesday but refused to comment on what transpired between the two leaders.

Singh, has got reprieve at least till November 15 as party chief Kushabhau Thakre would be on tour immediately after the national executive to return on November 10. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would leave the following day for convention of Commonwealth nations in Durban (South Africa). He will return on November 15. "No decision on UP is possible unlessthe top three leaders, Vajpayee, Advani and Thakre sit together," claimed BJP vice-president, Jana Krishnamurthi.

Thakre made it clear that the national executive was not the forum to discuss Kalyan’s fate. However, the party’s debacle in the recent general elections in that northern state will be debated at the meeting, he said. The situation needs correction but refused to say what steps were being contemplated. The national executive is likely to draw up a balance between long term perspective (strengthening the BJP) and short term plan (NDA Government).