RSS to deliberate on ways to strengthen BJP in UP

New Delhi, Oct 10 (UNI) Ahead of the Assembly elections in four states, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leadership is likely to take a decision on deputing its full time Pracharaks to man the posts of Organising Secretaries at district levels during its ongoing three-day camp at Varanasi.

The move follows concern at the uncertain prospects for the BJP in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the key state of Uttar Pradesh.

Following the amendment to the party constitution paving way for the appointment of district level Organising Secretaries, the BJP has sought RSS Pracharaks to man these posts especially in UP and Uttaranchal, Punjab and Manipur where the elections are due in 2007.

Informed sources say that the feedback from UP and Uttaranchal has not been 'happy' considering that UP happened to be the home state of BJP Chief Rajnath Singh where the party is unable to retain its support base -- the Brahmins who form about 24 per cent of the population. The party is alarmed at the way in which the Bahujan Samaj Party has been able to win the support of this community.

One of the solutions that is being thought out is to rope in senior BJP leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi to oversee the elections in these two states and stem the rot. Dr Joshi who hails from the Uttaranchal hills although has equal political stakes in UP where he represented Allahabad Lok Sabha constituency for five times.

The meeting will discuss the failure of the party in handling the Jharkhand crisis where the BJP led coalition lost out to an Independent backed by UPA and Madhya Pradesh where the state unit bulldozed the central leadership to deny the ticket to Varun Gandhi, the son of BJP MP Maneka Gandhi.

Political observers are also keenly watching the RSS deliberations about the tour of Ayodhya of senior BJP leader L K Advani along with Swaroopananda Saraswati of Dwaraka Peeth on November 30. The tour has been opposed by Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti as the pontiff never supported the Ram Janambhoomi movement. His presence may not be taken kindly by the sadhus belonging to Vaishnava faith, sources said.

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