BJP's National Executive to finetune strategy to wrest power

Bhopal, Sep 20 (UNI) Amid speculation over the possibility of a mid-term poll in the wake of the nuclear standoff between the UPA and the Left parties, the BJP begins its three-day National Executive here tomorrow to finetune its strategy to return to power at the Centre by highlighting the 'failures' of the Manmohan Singh Government on different fronts.

The rift between the UPA and the Left parties, which sustain the Manmohan Singh Government from outside, on the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal, has given a big opportunity to the BJP Executive to reemphasise the party's stand that the ruling coalition at the Centre was full of ''inner contradictions with partners having diametrically opposite ideologies''.

A political resolution to be adopted at the conclave is likely to highlight the UPA's intra-party conflicts and the BJP's opposition to the deal along with other issues like internal security, non-governance and inability to address to the commonman's problems.

The saffron party plans to expose the government's 'failures' in containing inflation and high prices of essential commodities, petroleum products and check farmers' suicide.

The wheat import at double the cost paid to farmers has given a big stick to the party to beat the government. The party has demanded the UPA to come out with a white paper on the utilisation of the 'substandard' wheat imported last year. The party had accused the government of forcing the people to purchase foodgrains unfit for human consumption.

Handling of terrorist attacks by the UPA is another matter where the BJP wants to put the government on the mat. The party says that terrorist attacks on Parliament, Akshardham Temple, Raghunath Mandir occurred during the NDA regime as well but the perpertrators were brought to book while those involved in Mumbai, Malegoan and Hyderabad blasts, which happened during the UPA term, were still at large.

Besides this, the Executive also holds significance in the light of recent debate over the leadership issue in the party.

With the L K Advani camp eager to see that their leader gets the party's nod for leading the next round of Lok Sabha elections in 2008, the opposing camp is equally determined to foil the move.

BJP President Rajnath Singh while ruling himself out of the leadership race has projected former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani as topmost leaders.

While Mr Advani has not hidden his wish to lead the next round of polls by equating his position as the Leader of Opposition with that of 'Prime Minister in waiting', two senior leaders Yashwant Sinha and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi have cleared the air contending that the party had several leaders capable of fitting the shoes and the collective leadership had not taken a decision on the leadership matter.

Though the raging Ramsethu controversy gave a lifeline to the party, it has adopted a cautious approach on the issue and decided not to lead any movement on the issue on its own but fully support the ''Ramsethu Suraksha Manch'', spearheading the nation-wide campaign against the Sethusamundaram Canal project.

Sources said the party would link the Sachar Committee report and Sethusamundaram project to the UPA's 'blantant' appeasement policy even to the extent of hurting the sentiments of the majority.

Dr Joshi, former Science, Technology and Oceanography Minister during the NDA regime, who represents the BJP on the Ramsethu Suraksha Samiti, has been asked to move the resolution on Ramsethu at Bhopal.

The Executive, however, is expected to conclude on a call to the cadre to be ready for the mid-term election and review the party's preparations for coming assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

UNI