BJP Parliamentary Board to meet tomorrow

New Delhi, May 10 (UNI) The meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board will be held tomorrow at the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to review the Uttar Pradesh poll results and also to discuss the coming Presidential elections.

The Board, the highest decision making forum of the party will discusse both the issues at the meeting to be attended by Leaders of Opposition L K Advani, Jaswant Singh, BJP President Rajnath Singh and former party Presidents Murli Manohar Joshi and Venkaiah Naidu and other members of the Board.

The results of the U P elections and the number of seats secured by the BJP would be crucial to the strategy to be adopted by the BJP and the NDA for the Presidential polls. The Opposition have approached President A P J Abdul Kalam for a second term in office but have got no assurance from him yet to be in the race.

Under such circumstances the arc lamps will be on Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat who not only is held in high esteem within the BJP but has influence transcending political parties and regions and castes.

It would be interesting to see if the statement of BJP President Rajnath Singh proclaiming that Leader of Opposition L K Advani will lead the next Parliamentary elections in 2009 will figure in the discussions.

Mr Vajpayee's supporters have maintained that the leadership issue was never discussed in the party forum while Advani's supporters have gone on record saying that no discussions were needed on the issue as it was clear to everybody that Mr Advani was the leader in the BJP after Mr Vajplayee.

UNI