BJP board meets, silent on poll rout

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 13

The BJP Parliamentary party meeting today, the first after the huge electoral setback, ended without any reference to the party's dismal poll performance in five key states.

According to leaders who participated in the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid respects to late BJP leaders former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Union Minister Ananth Kumar and Begusarai MP Bhola Singh, and security personnel killed in the 2001 Parliament attack.

But no direct reference was made about the BJP's embarrassing 5-0 rout in the recent Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Tuesday. The PM told the BJP parliamentarians that living up to the ideals of Vajpayee, who passed away in August, would be the biggest tribute to him.

Normally, such meetings are the time when the senior leadership takes note and lauds the party's victories and successes, crediting the PM and BJP chief Amit Shah for their hard work. Later, briefing about the BJP national office-bearers' meeting, party general secretary Bhupender Yadav, to repeated questions on party's performance, said it was planned much before the results and discussed only the organisational matters and plans as per the agenda.

The BJP would hold meetings, including of its seven morchas across the country and a two-day national council on January 11-12 in Delhi, in the run-up to the 2019 General Election. The Assembly results were not discussed as they were "not on the agenda", he insisted.

Party sources said: "Such open platforms are hardly a place to discuss sensitive internal matters like electoral losses or pinning responsibilities, victories are a different matter. Obviously, everyone is aware of what happened and is concerned about perceptions, discontent in youth, farmers and rural areas. Disenchantment over the core upper caste voters is also worrisome and so is poor implementation of central schemes. Obviously, the issues came up for discussion in planning programmes of different morchas related to youth, farmers, women, SC, ST, OBCs."

They added: "Whatever messaging is to be done will be done. Several closed-door meetings have been held with the senior leadership taking stock of the situation and cut losses in future. Youth and farmers and rural distress is a key concern. The PM himself will address the Kisan Morcha session on February 21-22."