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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including party President Amit Shah, and some senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders met on Thursday to discuss ways to improve coordination among the Sangh, the party and the government and also the shape of the new party president’s team, among others.
The over four-hour meeting at party leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s residence also discussed the possible date and venue for the BJP’s National Council meeting that would formally ratify Shah as BJP chief, sources said.
The date for the National Council meeting has been proposed as August 9, and it would be held in Delhi. The BJP parliamentary board, the party's highest decision making body, had appointed Shah as the party president at its meeting on July 9. According to the BJP's constitution, the National Council will now need to ratify that decision.
The over four-hour meeting at party leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s residence also discussed the possible date and venue for the BJP’s National Council meeting that would formally ratify Shah as BJP chief, sources said.
The date for the National Council meeting has been proposed as August 9, and it would be held in Delhi. The BJP parliamentary board, the party's highest decision making body, had appointed Shah as the party president at its meeting on July 9. According to the BJP's constitution, the National Council will now need to ratify that decision.
BJP National Council comprises 10% per cent of elected MPs, members of state councils, former national and state unit presidents, party leaders in the two Houses of Parliament as well as in state legislatures and assemblies, heads of BJP's front organisations and maximum of 40 other members nominated by the party president.
Today's meeting at Gadkari's residence also discussed party's preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in four states - Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir - as also appointments to key organizational posts in the party. Shah, in consultation with Gadkari, a former party president, and RSS leadership, is currently busy deciding upon filling vacancies in the party hierarchy that have resulted after many of its leaders joined the government.
Those present at today's meeting were Shah, Gadkari, former party president and Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The top RSS leadership, barring Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat, was also present. Bhaiyyaji Joshi, second to Bhagwat in the Sangh hierarchy, Suresh Soni and Dattatreya Hosabale were among the RSS brass who attended the meeting.
Party sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah are keen to keep coordination with RSS frequent. Party leadership is of the view that the previous Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government lost in 2004 because of the weakening of the party - Sangh relationship.
RSS leadership was scheduled to have dinner with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
