BJP meet to plan expansion of party base in 7 states

The two-day BJP National Executive meeting here from April 3 would adopt an action plan to ramp up the party's base in states where it has been weak, particularly in the South. The conclave, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will camp here for three days, party President Amit Shah and other top leaders, will be preceded by the Office-Bearers' meeting tomorrow.

"We will be adopting an action plan to expand the party's base particularly seven states - Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala," BJP General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao told reporters here today. The executive, which last met in August when it ratified the appointment of Amit Shah as party chief, was planned to be held here in January but put off as Modi was preoccupied with preparations for the visit of US President Barack Obama.

Rao said the action plan would also address the issue of making the party powerful and Number One organisation in these states. BJP had announced on Sunday it had become the world's largest organisation with a membership of 88 million, overtaking Communist Party of China with 86 million members. "In the last elections we have garnered significant percentage of votes, but becoming powerful and number one party in these weak states is the target with which we will be going ahead. So, for that an action plan will be finalised in this meeting," he said.

Rao also said the meeting would also discuss an action plan to reach out to people on the achievements of Narendra Modi government. "The meeting also will discuss how to reach out to people - taking the achievements of the government under Narendra Modi, particularly pro-farmers and pro-youth. All these issues will be discussed threadbare and action plan be prepared," he said. Rao said before adopting an action plan, it would discuss the future consolidation of the BJP.

"After our party became the largest political outfit in the world by breaking the record previously held by the Communist Party of China, the meeting will discuss about the future consolidation of the party," he said. The meeting would work out plans to celebrate next year the centenary of the Deendayal Upadhyaya, stalwart of erstwhile Jan Sangh, the forerunner of the present day BJP. "He was a revered icon of Integral Humanism.

He was an ideologue and a guiding force for an alternative model of governance and politics," Rao said. Karnataka BJP President Prahalad Joshi said Modi would address a public rally here on April 3. He will arrive tomorrow evening and be in the city till April 4. It will be the fourth time Karnataka is hosting the BJP national executive, he said.

WIDENING BASE

• BJP will adopt an action plan to expand the party's base particularly seven states - Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala
   
• The meeting also will discuss how to reach out to people - taking the achievements of the government under Narendra Modi, particularly pro-farmers and pro-youth
   
• The meeting would also discuss an action plan to reach out to people on the achievements of Narendra Modi government