BJP’s image dented: Naidu in Chennai

The BJP today conceded that its image had been dented by the recent developments in the party, but the party’s three-day national execu...

int(3)

The BJP today conceded that its image had been dented by the recent developments in the party, but the party’s three-day national executive meeting, beginning on September 16 here, would try to refurbish its image.

‘‘There has been some amount of dent in the image of the BJP in the recent past. But we have the capacity, calibre and cadre to remove it and make is representative of the people. We will remove the misconceptions and wrong perception. We will discuss ways to refurbish the image and move forward,’’ party’s senior vice president M Venkaiah Naidu said here.

The national executive is meeting in the backdrop of the face-off between former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and party president L K Advani over Madan Lal Khurana issue. Khurana, who was expelled from the party for ‘‘indiscipline’’ and whose expulsion was later revoked after his ‘‘expression of regret’’, will not be present in the meeting, as the party had only restored his primary membership and not his position in the executive.

Story continues below this ad

On the agenda for the national executive, Naidu said the party would discuss and adopt resolutions on the UPA government’s betrayal of the common man, price rise and politics of appeasement and vote banks, besides the spurt in terrorist activities, especially the Maoist violence.

The meeting would also discuss the party’s preparedness for the Assembly elections in Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Pondicherry. ‘‘There will also be some discussion about Karnataka, as fresh elections seem to be only solution there,” he said.

Rift widens in Gujarat BJP

Gandhinagar: Rift within the Gujarat BJP widened on Wednesday with six senior mlas, known detractors of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, resigning from various committees of the Assembly, saying that they were “choked” with the environment within the party. The five mlas — Gordhan Zadafiya, Dalsukh Patel, Dilip Patel, Bechar Badhani, Dhiru Gajera and Dhanraj Kella — have sent their resignation to Assembly Speaker and expressed their opinions on various issues within the party and the administration, sources said. —PTI