NEW DELHI, Dec 25: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gradually seems to create the wave by its show of people joining the party everyday. On Thursday, apart from some political catches, it has to its credit 93 retired army officers.

In an impressive ceremony at the party office, braving the chill 93 ex-service officers, including seven major generals and eight brigadiers, formally announced that they have joined the party in the presence of BJP president L K Advani, who demanded that the government by an ordinance allow proxy vote to facilitate defence personnel cast their votes in the ensuing elections through their close relatives.

The BJP is likely to entrust the onerous task of managing the booths to the ex-servicemen. According to captain Vikramjit Singh, 50,000 of them lived in Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad area and they all would devote time for the party to effectively check bogus voting and booth capturing.

The others for whom the decks were cleared include Congress leader Bhagwat Jha Azad, father of cricketer and BJP MLA from Delhi, Kirti Azad; and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Som Pal, a close aide of former prime minister V P Singh. Som Pal is likely to be fielded by the party from Baghpat, a stronghold of BKKP leader Ajit Singh.

Sources said a large number of Congress leaders are making a beeline to join the BJP, as in their perception it is the party that is destined to be in power at the Centre after the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

The list is said to be long but among those with whom the party has had several rounds of dialogues include leaders from Madhya Pradesh, including Ayyub Khan and Dilip Singh Bhuriya. It is stated that Rajasthan Congress president Paras Ram Maderna also is in close touch with Rajasthan chief minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and other leaders of the party. Even Congress leader Kamal Nath, who lost his seat to BJP stalwart and fromer chief minister Sundar Lal Patwa in the Lok Sabha by-election last February, is reportedly toying with the idea of deserting the Congress and joining the BJP. Kamal Nath was refused ticket in the 1996 Lok Sabha election following his involvement in hawala scandal. But his wife Alka Nath was given ticket which she won and later vacated the seat for Nath.

The residence of Atal Behari Vajpayee also wintessed the upbeat mood of the party. Vajpyee used to celebrated his birthday in a quiet manner. But this time around, his house was witness to an euphoria that reminded people of the days of late Indira Gandhi. Not only party workers and leaders but many others thronged his house to wish him, betraying a trend that power seekers could smell where the power is. The trend has made the party bosses happy. It was described by Advani as widening of the BJP support base.

Advani said that there could not be a better Christmaas gift for the party, which also happened to be the birth day ``of the person (Vajpayee), who will become prime minister of this country two months from now''. He considered it to be a great achievement that soldiers were joining the party in huge numbers. ``Soldiers do not think or behave in isolation''. He was also all praise for them because ``all others who come to use come with some expectations or preconditions. It is only these gentlemen, who have joined us completely to serve the nation and without any hope or condition''.

Advani promised to look into their pay anomalies that had resulted after implementation of pay commission report. He said that whatever hopes and aspirations they have of the BJP and Atal Behari Vajpayee would be fulfilled.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.