The Hindu : BJP leaders discuss strategy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 21, 2002

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BJP leaders discuss strategy

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 20. With the impasse over the Gujarat issue, continuing in Parliament, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today discussed the situation and strategy with his party colleagues here today.

The meeting held at the Prime Minister's residence emphasised that the Bharatiya Janata Party was open to a discussion under Rule 193 and not under Rule 184, which entails voting. The entire Opposition has been insisting on a discussion under Rule 184 and the deadlock has resulted in Parliament being adjourned the whole of last week without transacting any official business.

The BJP leaders also asked its members to exercise restraint in raking up the issue of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's remarks against Mr. Vajpayee that he spoke in different voices whenever he lost his mental balance. Later, Ms. Gandhi clarified that she did not mean what she said. The BJP MPs demanded in the Lok Sabha an apology from Ms. Gandhi over her comments in Guwahati against the Prime Minister.

The meeting decided that the question of sending a team of the National Democratic Alliance leaders to Gujarat would be firmed up after the return of the Defence Minister, George Fernandes from the State.

The People's Front has announced that it would send a delegation to the State on March 24.

Those who attended today's meeting included the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, the External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, the Law Minister, Arun Jaitley, the Disinvestment Minister, Arun Shourie and the party spokesman, Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

U P developments

Meanwhile, the senior BJP leader, Kushabhau Thakre said the party should be cautious in entering into any agreement with the Bahujan Samaj Party in the light of its previous experiences.

Mr. Thakre, who is in charge of party affairs in the Uttar Pradesh, said BJP leaders have been holding informal talks with the BSP leaders ,Kanshi Ram and Mayawati, but a formal decision would be finalised only after the BJP Parliamentary Board took a view on it. The senior BJP State leader, Lalji Tandon, an advocate of a BJP-BSP tie-up met Mr. Thakre here today.

Talking to correspondents at the party headquarters here, Mr. Thakre, a member of the Parliamentary Board said that the BJP, which had earlier decided to sit in the Opposition in the U.P. Assembly would have to consider the change in the situation, necessitating a relook. He hinted that a formal dialogue between the BJP,BSP would be held after the BJP meeting.

The BJP and the BSP should have a common minimum programme with accent on development. Caste politics in the State should end.

Asked about the objection of its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal of Ajit Singh that his party was not consulted on the proposed pact, Mr. Thakre said the views of the RLD would be taken into account.

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