BJP leadership reviews organisational scenario in country

New Delhi, Nov 1 (UNI) The BJP leadership today reviewed its organisational election scenario in states, at a time when the party has to elect its national President before the month end.

The meeting of the top party leaders, at the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, took note of the developments in the states including the bitter infighting between the factions of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his predecessor Keshubhai Patel in the Gujarat BJP. The election of Presidents of ten of the 30 states including the Union Territories have been finalised and the rest of them will have to be elected by November 15 before the Chief Election Officer could decide the election date for the new President, BJP sources said. The party constitution requires that elections to at least 20 states will have to be completed before the national President is elected.

The states where the state BJP have elected chiefs are Gujarat, Chhatisgarh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu while Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, and West Bangal states have to elect their Presidents. The party will not undertake elections in the states like UP, Uttaranchal, Punjab, where assembly polls are scheduled to be held soon.

The leader also reviewed the seat sharing arrangements with Akali Dal in Punjab where the party wants atleast 23 seats as its share while the Akalis were wanting to lower it down to a realistic level.

The party is arguing that it had 18 MLAs at one time while the Akalis argue that it was unrealistic, since the BJP has few sitting assembly members.

The meeting expressed its satisfaction over the 40 per cent increase in the membership enrollment as against the target of 20 per cent, sources said.

UNI MCN VD BS1929