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BJP plans `chargesheets' against Cong. Govts.

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI MARCH 18. The Bharatiya Janata Party's units in States where elections are due later this year — Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan — will be asked to prepare a list of issues which could be used to frame a ``chargesheet'' against the ruling Congress Governments as part of the campaign in the run-up to the polls.

The decision was taken a meeting at the residence of the party president, Venkaiah Naidu, here today. Besides general secretaries Pramod Mahajan, Sanjay Joshi, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Anita Arya, two Union Ministers, Arun Jaitley and Arun Shourie, were present.

Indiscipline within the party which worked against it in Himachal Pradesh was discussed at some length. In fact, the party wanted to make an example of those who indulged in acts of indiscipline — the Union Minister, Shanta Kumar, had been asked to explain in writing his caustic comments on the defeat, and some others in the State unit identified by party leaders may be given a stern warning.

While it was clear that the BJP would raise issues which had the effect of polarising people along communal lines — for example the current Bhojshala controversy in Madhya Pradesh which was not raised in the last nine years of the Digvijay Singh Government — the party was also aware that it must focus on the weaknesses in governance in these States to make the most of the anti-incumbency factor.

The recent controversy over irregularities in draft electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh was discussed and described as the ``biggest electoral scam of the decade''.

This is bound to figure in the ``chargesheet'' against the Digvijay Singh Government, just as in Rajasthan, the Congress Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, may be hauled up for his failure to manage the drought, leading to alleged starvation deaths.

With Umar Bharti leading the campaign in Madhya Pradesh and Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan, the party was likely to make much of women's issues, especially if the Centre adopted a legislation by making it compulsory for political parties to nominate a certain percentage of women candidates.

Ayodhya could become a talking point, but much would depend on what the Supreme Court does in the next one week and what comes up at Ayodhya in the excavation ordered by the Allahabad High Court.

After the meeting, Mr. Naqvi said the resolutions to be adopted at the national executive committee meeting of the party in Indore from April 4 were also discussed. The meeting was being seen by the party as an opportunity to create a pro-BJP sentiment in the State.

The executive would also be the occasion for the party to celebrate five years in office and showcase the ``stability'' of the Vajpayee Government.

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