With the possibility of the Manmohan government calling elections earlier than expected gaining grounds, BJP top brass got into a brainstorming session to deliberate on its poll strategy the polls during which it intends to highlight the ‘failures’ of the government as well as the scams that afflicted the UPA's nine-year tenure in power. Many believe that the Congress may call elections by November. This gained ground after the party chose to throw out basic parliamentary decorum by deciding to issue an ordinance to get its so-called food security scheme implemented. At the BJP parliamentary board meeting held in the Capital Monday, which was also attended by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the Manmohan’s nine-year tenure came in for close scrutiny. As part of its strategy in run up to the next Lok Sabha polls, the party decided to hold week-long agitations across the country from next Monday to highlight the ‘failures’ of the government which completes nine years tomorrow.
Modi, who is being projected by some in BJP as its PM candidate, pushed for greater use of social media to reach out more effectively to the people, especially the youth. "We discussed the nine years of the UPA rule. This government has failed on all fronts be it price rise, internal and external security or the economic situation. BJP will launch a jail bharo (court arrest) programme from May 27 to June 2," the party secretary Ananth Kumar said. The top brass also discussed the forthcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Jharkhand. This was the first meeting of the Board after Singh allocated responsibilities to BJP office-bearers on May 19. The party also discussed issues related to the upcoming meetings of BJP National office-bearers and executive to be held in Goa from June 7 to 9, Kumar said. The party is likely to pass two resolutions in the National Executive Meeting. The political resolution would discuss the political situation prevailing in the country and the threat to safety and security. An Economic resolution on the issue of price rise and other issues will also be moved.
At the meeting chaired by president Rajnath Singh and attended by LK Advani and other leaders, Modi said the ‘failures’ of the UPA rule in the last nine years should be discussed and people should be informed about them. As part of this strategy, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley will address a press conference to talk about ‘failures’ of the UPA government on Wednesday, the ninth anniversary of the Congress-led coalition in power. The party is likely to come out with a counter-report card against the UPA-II government to highlight the shortcomings of the Manmohan Singh dispensation. The emphasis will be on the scams and scandals which have plagued this dispensation. "One cannot call these nine years of UPA rule as one of governance. We can only call it misrule. The people of the country are fed up and want to throw out this government at the earliest," Kumar said. "Modi suggested in the meeting that the spread and reach of social media and social network should be used to reach out to the people, especially the youth," Kumar said.
