BJP to launch Advani for poll battle

New Delhi, Jan 25 (UNI) The three-day BJP's National Convention beginning here on Sunday will virtually be a strategy session for facing the assembly elections in some states this year and Lok Sabha election in early 2009.

The party has already got into election mode when it announced Leader of the Opposition L K Advani as its Prime Ministerial candidate and this conclave--the one day National Executive and two day National Council--assumes significance as it will be the first meeting for Mr Advani after his elevation in the party. Till now the role was reserved for party patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Mr Advani is expected to give indications to the direction he will be giving the party and the NDA in his concluding remark at the National Council meeting to be held at Ramlila Grounds.

The party is also likely to announce Mr Advani's nationwide yatra to bolster BJP's and NDA's chances in the Lok Sabha and highlight the failure of the ruling UPA in tackling price rise, inflation and its soft pedalling of issues concerning terrorism and national security.

The National Executive will meet on January 27 at Parliament Annexe while the National Council will have its open deliberations with the address by party President Rajnath Singh. On January 28 and 29, all the BJP chief ministers including Narendra Modi and new Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal will be attending the meeting.

The important task of the National Council will be to amend the party constitution to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women in all policy making bodies ahead of the all important elections.

The party Executive at Bhopal had adopted the report of its senior leader Sushma Swaraj on the issue and now the Council will be putting its seal of approval by amending the party constitution, BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

The party will discuss all burning issues as a campaign against the weak-kneed approach in cheaking terrorism, rise of separatist forces, naxal violence and national security. The party will also expose how the Congress and the Left parties used crucial policies concerning security matters to influence the vote bank.

The Executive will not pass any resolution but the Council will discuss two resolutions -- political and the one concerning agriculture and farmers suicides.

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