The demand for AIADMK's ouster from the ruling coalition is likely to dominate the BJP's three-day national executive, which begins in Jaipur today. This may also be reflected in the political resolution to be adopted on Sunday.
Senior party leaders, including president Kushabhau Thakre, feel the BJP should act tough against the AIADMK.
They see this as necessary to salvage the government's credibility after AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha's allegation that a person close to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee took bribes to transfer M K Bezbaruah out of the Enfrocement Directorate.
Although the government and the BJP have denied Jayalalitha's charge, many party leaders feel the government must send a strong signal by ousting her from the coalition unless she backs the allegation with evidence.
A demand to this effect at the national executive could strengthen Vajpayee's resolve to act tough. He was so upset by Jayalalitha's allegation that he had contemplated resigning, a party leader said.
The national executive will also allow views of other senior party leaders to emerge. Union home minister L K Advani has not yet spoken about Jayalalitha's charge, leading to speculation that he and Vajpayee do not see eye to eye on the issue.
The main agenda of the meeting, of course, is the BJP's preparedness for assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram towards the end of this year. Senior party leaders, including Thakre, have extensively toured these states and have prepared reports on the party's organisational health in each of them.
The executive is also likely to finalise a two-month nationwide tour of senior party leaders from September to lift the party's image and to boost the morale of cadres who are feeling let down by the BJP-led government at the Centre.
The leaders will meet partymen in 450 districts to seek suggestions for better functioning of the government.
This will create an outlet for grassroots workers' grievances and enable the party to assess the gound realities after five months of the Vajpayee government assuming office.
The BJP national executive's economic resolution is likely to support measures taken by the Vajpayee government to revive the economy. The focus is likely to be on job creation and removal of poverty.
The party had earlier thought of asking the government to take immediate measures to reduce prices of essential commodities. However, party leaders have now concluded there is no need to attack the government on this front because the prices have already come down.
The resolution is likely to have a swadeshi slant as it has been drafted by the party's economic cell member Jagdish Shettigar under the guidance of party general secretary K N Govindacharya, both strong advocates of swadeshi.
Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha and party general secretary Sangh Priya Gautam also gave their inputs.
