Leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) are understood to have directed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to devote major portion of the three-day Virar conclave, which began yesterday, on finding ways to generate confidence among people by streamlining party organisation and setting up forums to make the party more accountable to its rank and file.
Among the RSS various suggestions given to BJP leaders include setting up of working groups at the district levels and making them wholly accountable for the partys organisational works and to take steps to make the partys functioning more democratic at the state level.
Members of these working groups would not contest elections themselves, but recommend candidates for contesting elections from the assembly to the Lok Sabha levels. Setting up such a working group has become necessary as in most cases, the candidates selected by party leaders do not reflect the choice of the rank and file. This has led to disenchantment among general party workers, which, in some cases found expression in the form of rebel candidates, a party leader pointed out. Selection of candidates by such working groups would help in checking proliferation of rebel candidates he said.
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This would also ensure that the elected leaders would be in touch with the masses and partys rank and file, he added, pointing out that the party has been receiving numerous complaints from the BJP ruled states that the elected representatives and ministers in state governments do not listen to general party workers. Another major agenda at Virar is democratisation of the partys state leadership with emphasis in states where the BJP has established substantial electoral presence.
There is likelihood of setting up of collegiate-type leadership in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Bihar.
The duo of former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh and state units president Kalraj Mishra has failed to carry the party forward and something must be done to send a right message to the electorate, a senior BJP leader from UP said before leaving for Virar.
Prior to leaving for the introspection conclave at Virar, BJP leaders appeared confident that something concrete would emerge from the meeting to galvanise the party for further expansion in the North, South and North-eastern parts of the country. The guidance provided by the RSS leaders has reinforced their confidence, a senior BJP leader said.