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Sharad Gupta & PTI
BANGALORE, JAN 2: The Bharatiya Janata Party's crucial national executive began here today on a note of dissonance with party chief Kushabhau Thakre admitting that there were differences between the party and the government. And that these needed to be ironed out through ``coordination and consultation'' so that both are saved ``embarrassment and confusion.''``I am concerned about the working of the Government because if the Government isn't functioning well, it will affect the party as well,'' he told reporters before his inaugural address.
In his opening remarks at the national executive, he said the Government's decision on the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) Bill and the Patents Amendments Bill -- both seen as pro-reform measures -- was in conflict with the ``party organisation and the National Agenda for Governance.''
Even party spokesman K L Sharma said differences between the party and those in the Government, were affecting the party's image. However, he added that Prime Minister Atal BehariVajpayee's image of not succumbing to pulls and pressures -- both from within the party and outside -- was helping the party.Quoting party ideologue Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Thakre said: ``A party in power acquires a distinctive identity by tackling big problems. But its distinctive strength lies in tackling small problems.''
Pointing towards the sense of despair setting in among BJP workers, Thakre said whether or not in power, workers have to strive to identify with the masses. ``The party can not be complacent leaving the task to the Government,'' he said.
This isn't the first time the BJP is discussing the issue of lack of coordination between the Government and the party. As party chief, L K Advani, too, had raised the issue during the national executive at New Delhi in April last year. And at the Gandhinagar national executive, the party had decided to form a committee to study the issue.
Although the Jana Krishnamurthi committee submitted its report to the party chief in August and top partyleaders held two meetings in September on the issue, the committee's recommendations have yet not been implemented. This lack of coordination was evident this time, too. While discussing the reasons for the recent poll debacle, Rajasthan BJP chief Raghubir Kaushal squarely blamed the then Chief Minister. ``Inordinate delay by the BJP Government in taking the decisions on welfare issues coupled with lack of coordination between the party and the Government and poor selection of candidates contributed to BJP's electoral loss in Rajasthan,'' he said.Kaushal's target, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, did not turn up at the meeting, citing health reasons, a party spokesman said.
Thakre urged party leaders not to lose heart but look to the future: The coming Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim and Goa.He ridiculed the claim that Congress ``has the natural right to rule'' and charged the Congress with unabashed promotion of ``dynasty'' over democracy. On the attacks against Christians, Thakre saidthat for long there had been an effort to create a gulf between the minority communities and the BJP by spreading misinformation. He called upon the party workers to frustrate such attempts.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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