BJP, RSS discuss party, Govt revamp after Parliament session

The BJP was represented at the meeting by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Home Minister L K Advani, Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, Communications Minister Pramod Mahajan, Rural Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, party president K Jana Krishnamurthy and former president Kushabhau Thakre.

The RSS was represented by Sarsanghchalak K S Sudarshan, general secretary H V Seshadri and RSS-BJP link man Madan Das Devi. Mahajan and Naidu, who were not present at yesterday’s meeting, turned up today.

Sources disclosed that Sudarshan and Seshadri told BJP leaders to rejuvenate the party by installing effective people in key positions and enforcing discipline. No names were discussed.

Venkaiah Naidu, according to the sources, put a pointed question to the RSS leaders on Hindutva. He sought to know if the party needed to return to it after having dropped it for the NDA agenda. Sudarshan reportedly said there was no need for it. Naidu told mediapersons, in reply to a question after the meeting, that ‘‘there is an NDA agenda which has been accepted by the party and the people and the government will run on that programme. The BJP knows it and the Sangh knows it.’’

The meeting covered a wide range of issues — from the elections for the posts of President and Vice-President to the organisational structure of the BJP and its relations with Parivar outfits.

Naidu told journalists the meeting was aimed at having better co-ordination, consultations and exchange of ideas between the two organisations. ‘‘It was felt that one must understand the other’s views. There should be an understanding of the compulsions of mass organisations and limitations of the government,’’ he said.

Sources said the two meetings were only a beginning and were to be followed up by informal discussions. Madan Dass Devi told reporters: ‘‘There were suggestions that we should have similiar meetings regularly and greater communication between the two organisations. There should be some channels through which issues could be discussed with other organisations (of the Sangh Parivar).’’

As far as a revamp of the BJP was concerned, it’s too early to speculate on the names of the leaders who would go back from the government to the party.

Though the rank and file is in favour of the return of Advani, the RSS is opposed to the idea as it would leave the field wide open for the non-political elements around the Prime Minister to have complete sway over the government’s decision-making.