Seer's issue to figure at BJP meet

Seer's issue to figure at BJP meet

Tuesday, November 23, 2004 (Ranchi):

The issue of Kanchi Shankaracharya's arrest is expected to figure prominently at the BJP National Executive beginning in Ranchi on Wednesday.

The meeting comes even as the party attempts to strike a delicate balance between its Hindutva ideology and compulsions of keeping the NDA intact.

The first national executive in Mumbai had been overshadowed by differences among the party leadership on continuation of Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister.

Addressing challenges

Party sources said the coming session is expected to avoid discussing controversies including Uma Bharati's suspension from the party but focus on the challenges, party sources said.

This is the first meeting after L K Advani took over as the party President, and would draw up a strategy for the coming Assembly elections in Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana.

Sources said the three-day meeting would target the Congress-led government on issues including inflation, national security, de-escalation of troops in Jammu and Kashmir and the "deteriorating" condition of farmers.

The meeting will begin with a public rally to be addressed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani, followed by the inaugural session later in the evening.

The meeting will virtually kick off the party's election campaign in poll-bound Jharkhand. (PTI)

News From ndtv.com

(With PTI inputs)