Bengaluru: As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) commenced its largest strategy meet on Thursday since assuming power at the Centre, it remained unclear if party stalwart LK Advani will address the National Executive meet here.
The three-day BJP conclave held the national office bearers' meet today and its National Executive meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Bengaluru for the meet.
Meanwhile, evading a direct reply to the question whether or not Advani would deliver a speech, party spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said that "the party has the guidance of all senior leaders".
Advani, one of BJP's main founding members and tallest leaders, has attended and addressed at all national executive meetings of the party, except during the last meet in Goa when Narendra Modi was announced to be the head of party's campaign committee in Lok Sabha polls.
Advani had not only skipped the event but also sent a letter resigning from all posts of the party.
His differences with the party's decision were later reconciled. After that more than once Advani has congratulated Modi for leading the BJP to victory in General Elections.
According to party sources, this time Advani, a three-time BJP president, is not keen on addressing the party's national executive meet.
Sources added that organisation secretary of the party Ramlal met Advani in Delhi days before the meet over the issue. But it was not clear if Advani will speak at the forum.
Advani, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Murli Manohar Joshi, is a part of a 'Margdarshak Mandal' , or the party's guiding committee which includes Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh.
The three veterans have already been eased out of BJP's parliamentary board, the highest decision making body of the party.
The guiding committee, however, has not held a single meet since being set up last August.
Ahead of the BJP's two-day National Executive meeting, office bearers and parliamentary board members of the party met here earlier today to finalise the agenda for the conclave.
The meeting will focus on expanding the party in other states, especially in states where it is not prominent.
Riding high over the success of its membership campaign, the party will now focus on translating its strength into votes, party sources here said.
The working of the BJP-led central government and its achievements will also be discussed at the meeting.
Besides its 111 members, some permanent and special invitees of the National Executive, including chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states, state presidents and all former chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of BJP will also be present at the two-day meet.
"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 said on Monday.
Rao said the action plan would also address the issue of making the party powerful and "Number One organisation" in these states.
The meeting would also discuss an action plan to reach out to people on the achievements of Narendra Modi government.
(With Agency inputs)
