BJP core group wants to cash in on Bihar 'model'

PATNA: A section of the Bihar BJP has got busy trying to project that the manner in which it conducted itself both as an independent party and as
an NDA partner during the recently concluded parliamentary elections should be perceived as "model".

However, even in the state BJP, not all agree to it. Yet, following the Delhi meet of the BJP's core group held on Wednesday, the need to project that model is being stressed. This is being perceived as all the more necessary, because disconcerting reports have been filtering regarding the ongoing infighting and differences of opinion in the national BJP on the causes of party's debacle in the recently concluded parliamentary elections.

Expectedly, a plethora of issues, including causes of debacle, would come to the fore at the June 21 meeting of the party's all-India working committee to be held in Delhi.

Incidentally, senior state BJP leaders, including party's zonal in-charge H N Singh, state president Radha Mohan Singh, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, health minister Nand Kishore Yadav and Rajya Sabha member Dr C P Thakur, would take part in the June 21 meet that would also discuss the causes of failure of the party at the parliamentary hustings, among other organisational matters.

The Bihar BJP, at present, is basking in the glory of its spectacular performance as it won 12 of the 15 parliamentary seats it contested. But it was as NDA partner, where JD(U) contested more seats and registered similar performance 80 per cent.

"Our performance has definitely been spectacular. But it might not be proper to call it as model, since performance of the party in other BJP-ruled states has not been bad. The states where the party did remarkably well are Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh," state BJP general secretary Mangal Pandey said.

Curiously, a section of the JD(U) leadership has already censured the national BJP with regard to the issues surrounding its Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. Reportedly, BJP's core group meeting felt that the party could not maintain its progressive halo.

"I don't know the context of this word progressive used at the core group meeting," Pandey said, adding: "From our point of view, it could mean various things party's result, popular support of people, people's acceptance, and even vote share."

Yet, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had said no to campaign by Narendra Modi in Bihar while he was highly critical of Varun Gandhi. Even state BJP leaders largely avoided being on quote on Varun Gandhi.