BJP executive may not discuss polls

NDA partners against unilateral decision by BJP

Contrary to the perception that the two-day national executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will discuss the schedule of the Lok Sabha elections, the party's apex decision making body will skirt the issue on the pretext of holding wider consultations with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners.

The party's vacillation on the Lok Sabha elections can be attributed to various assessments about the party's electoral prospects if the polls were advanced.

Highly placed sources in the government said it would be a prudent strategy to hold elections at a time when the government could generate a scenario of optimism and goodwill all over the country.

However, there is an apprehension that the talk of early elections will make the bureaucracy sceptical and reluctant to perform.

Some of the senior NDA leaders in the government are learnt to have shared this apprehension with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

BJP sources said the finance ministry has been working overtime to announce a series of measures to strengthen the feel good factor shortly.

"There is a possibility of a further cut in the interest rate for loans to farmers, particularly for the purchase of tractors and other agriculture implements," BJP sources said.

The BJP was also required to set its own house in order in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP has been reduced to a fringe political force.

However, the BJP is wary of rubbing allies the wrong way if a section of senior party leadership keep on talking about elections without caring for the opinion of the NDA partners.

An indication to this effect was given by Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani when he met Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray in Mumbai. He is learnt to have discussed with him the prospect of advancing the Lok Sabha polls.

Advani said though the early polls would be good for the NDA, there was no decision taken on the issue as yet. Advani said the decision on the early polls would be taken after due consultation with the allies.

Though Advani was cautious in formulations about the prospects of advancing the polls, BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu and general secretary Pramod Mahajan have been insisting that the schedule for the polls should be discussed in the national executive.

A section of senior party leadership, however, appears to be uncomfortable with the idea of a "public debate" on the schedule of the polls.

Some of the BJP leaders are learnt to have advised the Prime Minister against a unilateral decision by the BJP at its national executive.

"The issue of the poll schedule should be discussed by the NDA and not the BJP," they said. Any unilateral decision by the BJP apex body would give wrong signals to the coalition partners.

As it is, Janata Dal (United) members like Prabhunath Singh have already raised objections over the suggestion of holding early polls without discussing the issue within the NDA.

Highly placed BJP sources, however, feel that any decision on the advancement of the polls at the national executive will take away the advantage of "element of surprise" from the BJP.

There are indications that the government has been planning to announce sops for various sectors, particularly farmers.

"Let this feeling sink in among people before going for the polls," senior party leaders said. It would also be politically imprudent to discuss the polls in such a large forum as the national executive.

A debate on the prospects of early polls there would neutralise the government's move of generating a goodwill among people, pointed out BJP leaders who have been arguing that the poll decision could be an ace up the NDA's sleeves and surprise political adversaries.