Party poll process from Jan: Sharma

CHANDIGARH, NOV 15: With elections to the Bharatiya Janata Party national president due in May, the party would initiate the poll process...

CHANDIGARH, NOV 15: With elections to the Bharatiya Janata Party national president due in May, the party would initiate the poll process for electing new state and district presidents from January.

Stating this here today, party8217;s senior vice-president Krishan Lal Sharma said the fresh election schedule for the organisational polls would be drawn up at the party8217;s working committee and national council meetings, scheduled to be held on December 27, 28 and 29 at Chennai.

Sharma said the BJP would review its party constitution during its national convention at Chennai in December end, after considering and discussing the suggestions of the seven-member committee headed by the Jana Krishnamurthy committee on party constitution.

The new draft constitution will, among other things, lay down the procedure for selection of candidates for elections and review the term of the party president which is two years at present, said Sharma. Asked about the holding of separate meetings by BJP legislators from Haryana, Sharma said since the BJP was not part of the Chautala ministry, holding of separate meetings was justified in view of the state assembly8217;s winter session.

He, however, reiterated the party8217;s support to the Chautala government saying the BJP would vote in favour of the government in case of a no-confidence motion. He said, so far, the BJP high command had not taken any decision on joining the Chautala ministry. However, he said, the issue was still under active consideration.

Asked if the national party was planning a review of any of its alliances, he said: quot;As of now, there is not going to be any reconsideration of alliancesquot;.

On former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh8217;s charge that the party lost in the state because it abandoned the Ram Temple issue, Sharma said it was true that the BJP had not taken up the temple issue this time, since it was not part of the NDA agenda. However, he added, the temple issue was not even raised in the last elections when the BJP had won. He said: quot;Kalyan Singh himself had been party to the collective decision of the BJP national executive to leave out contentious issues from the party agenda.quot; The BJP vice-president also assured that the party was looking into Kalyan Singh8217;s demand of fixing the responsibility of other party leaders in UP for the BJP debacle in the recent polls.

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To a query whether he aspired to be a state governor, he said: quot;It is hypothetical. I am always at the disposal of the party and will perform whatever duty the party wants me toquot;. He hoped that new governors would be appointed soon after the Prime Minister8217;s arrival to Delhi.