Even on the eve of its two-day national executive meeting, the BJP is still unsure if Mr Narendra Modi will be attending it. BJP vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said he would be able to confirm any leader’s participation only after their arrival in Mumbai.
When asked whether Mr Modi would attend the meeting, Mr Naidu said, “Why are you asking specifically about Mr Modi? We are hoping that everybody will come, but I cannot tell by which flight or train they will come or at what time they will come.” Mr Naidu further said that everybody would know on Thursday who all would be attending the meeting.
When asked if the party planned to take any action against any leader not attending the meeting, Mr Naidu said, “No wise person will answer speculative questions.”
Former UP chief minister Rajnath Singh asked the media not to speculate on whether Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi would attend the two-day meet. “Wait till tomorrow,” he said.
[PTI reported the Gujarat government Wednesday said Mr Modi will be going to Udaipur Thursday to attend a function. “Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi will take part in a function to celebrate the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap in Udaipur in Rajasthan tomorrow,” an official statement from the CMO said.]
The BJP is expected to discuss the roadmap for 2014 general polls or the possibility of mid-term polls, dissidence in state units, including Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan, and the drought situation in Maharashtra, Karnakata and AP.
“There will be one political resolution, one resolution on the economic situation and one resolution on the drought situation passed in the meet,” Mr Naidu said.
Answering a question on whether dissidence in the party’s state units will be discussed, Mr Naidu said that the executives would be free to bring up any discussion.
However, Mr Naidu denied that the presidential poll would be discussed in the national executive meeting.
“The party’s strategy on the presidential election will be decided by the top leaders after discussions with NDA allies and non-UPA parties,” he said.
Mr Naidu neither denied nor confirmed whether a decision of Mr Gadkari’s second term would be taken in the meeting.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and the party’s national president Nitin Gadkari also arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday to attend the meeting. Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi, Jaswant Singh, Maneka Gandhi and S.S. Ahluwalia were prominent among the national executive members who arrived on Wednesday.