 "BJP's manifesto conundrum continues")
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)is still busy re-drafting its manifesto but it insists the document will be unveiled on Monday. The party has decided to ignore the Election Commission's view that a live telecast of the launch ceremony is prohibited, particularly in areas going to polls on that day.
However, the drafting and unveiling of the manifesto is one event BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, whom senior party leader L K Advani on Saturday described as a "brilliant and efficient event manager", hasn't been able to manage to his satisfaction.
Party sources say the manifesto drafting was delayed because of a communication gap between its old guard and the new leadership, the swadeshi faction versus believers in liberal economics, the hardliners who wanted the manifesto to give enough space to BJP's core issues like the Ram Janmabhoomi versus those who thought the party should fight the 2014 polls on the issues of development, corruption and inflation.
Joshi on Saturday said the draft was delayed as suggestions from party leaders were still coming in. Party sources said the version that Joshi prepared "lacked focus" and was too long. Other leaders were busy incorporating elements of Modi's January 19 speech to the BJP's national council, where he spoke at length about his economic vision in the draft manifesto, said sources. One leader said he was shocked to find the Hindi version of the manifesto poorly drafted. "I am having to sit through nights just to correct its Hindi," he said. Party leadership was also dissatisfied with the pictures used on the front cover of the manifesto.
"The redrafting and redesigning is being done as we speak," said a source on Saturday night, but claimed the party would meet its deadline of presenting the manifesto on Monday morning. The source dismissed the reports that the party had to delay the manifesto unveiling until after the fourth phase of polling on April 12, either because the manifesto had yet to be finalised or under the poll panel's guidelines on the issue.
Party sources insisted the manifesto would be released on Monday, the first day of polling. Election Commission sources, however, said live telecast of the manifesto-launch ceremony would violate clause 126 (i) b of the Representation of People's Act. The clause prohibits "display to the public of any election matter by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus" 48 hours before the voting. Such election material can only be telecast after the conclusion of the voting process in the evening of that particular poll day.
Five seats of Assam and one of two seats in Tripura go to polls on Monday. The EC says electronic media should not telecast the manifesto release, as it will be seen as providing "inducement" to electors.
"We are unveiling the manifesto in Delhi. Let television channels not beam that news in Assam and Tripura," said a BJP source, though questioning the poll panel's strict application of law. "Some of these rules are archaic. The news will be available live through the means of social media and news websites," said a source, stressing the futility of the Election commission's directive.
Nirmala Sitharaman, the party's spokesperson, denied there was any move to postpone the unveiling of the manifesto to a later date. "As far as I know, there is no change. We will unveil our manifesto on Monday morning," she said.
BJP media cell chief Shrikant Sharma said the party was going ahead with the function at 9.30 am on Monday. "It is up to the television channels to see whether or not they want to telecast the function," he said. However, there are ways out of the mess. News channels might not show the actual function but have panel discussions on the piece of news.
However, the drafting and unveiling of the manifesto is one event BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, whom senior party leader L K Advani on Saturday described as a "brilliant and efficient event manager", hasn't been able to manage to his satisfaction.
Party sources say the manifesto drafting was delayed because of a communication gap between its old guard and the new leadership, the swadeshi faction versus believers in liberal economics, the hardliners who wanted the manifesto to give enough space to BJP's core issues like the Ram Janmabhoomi versus those who thought the party should fight the 2014 polls on the issues of development, corruption and inflation.
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The party's manifesto drafting committee, headed by Murli Manohar Joshi, comprises such old hands as Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Yashwant Sinha and, until recently, even Jaswant Singh. However, it seems Modi and others weren't satisfied with the draft that Joshi prepared, primarily as it didn't include much of 'Modi's Vision'.
Joshi on Saturday said the draft was delayed as suggestions from party leaders were still coming in. Party sources said the version that Joshi prepared "lacked focus" and was too long. Other leaders were busy incorporating elements of Modi's January 19 speech to the BJP's national council, where he spoke at length about his economic vision in the draft manifesto, said sources. One leader said he was shocked to find the Hindi version of the manifesto poorly drafted. "I am having to sit through nights just to correct its Hindi," he said. Party leadership was also dissatisfied with the pictures used on the front cover of the manifesto.
"The redrafting and redesigning is being done as we speak," said a source on Saturday night, but claimed the party would meet its deadline of presenting the manifesto on Monday morning. The source dismissed the reports that the party had to delay the manifesto unveiling until after the fourth phase of polling on April 12, either because the manifesto had yet to be finalised or under the poll panel's guidelines on the issue.
Party sources insisted the manifesto would be released on Monday, the first day of polling. Election Commission sources, however, said live telecast of the manifesto-launch ceremony would violate clause 126 (i) b of the Representation of People's Act. The clause prohibits "display to the public of any election matter by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus" 48 hours before the voting. Such election material can only be telecast after the conclusion of the voting process in the evening of that particular poll day.
Five seats of Assam and one of two seats in Tripura go to polls on Monday. The EC says electronic media should not telecast the manifesto release, as it will be seen as providing "inducement" to electors.
"We are unveiling the manifesto in Delhi. Let television channels not beam that news in Assam and Tripura," said a BJP source, though questioning the poll panel's strict application of law. "Some of these rules are archaic. The news will be available live through the means of social media and news websites," said a source, stressing the futility of the Election commission's directive.
Nirmala Sitharaman, the party's spokesperson, denied there was any move to postpone the unveiling of the manifesto to a later date. "As far as I know, there is no change. We will unveil our manifesto on Monday morning," she said.
BJP media cell chief Shrikant Sharma said the party was going ahead with the function at 9.30 am on Monday. "It is up to the television channels to see whether or not they want to telecast the function," he said. However, there are ways out of the mess. News channels might not show the actual function but have panel discussions on the piece of news.