Session over, Vajpayee points to early elections

In fact, BJP leaders appeared to be in a self-congratulatory mood at the meeting in Parliament House this morning when it claimed credit for its ‘‘strong and constructive opposition’’ and for exposing ‘‘the wrongdoings of the UPA’’ on several issues.

According to party spokesperson, V K Malhotra, party president L K Advani congratulated BJP MPs in both Houses for ‘‘its constructive approach as an Opposition party.’’

Said Advani, ‘‘We gave support on several issues but we also opposed the wrongdoings of the government, and it was because of our strong opposition that an UPA Union Minister (Jagdish Tytler) was forced to resign.’’

Advani highlighted the fact that the BJP forced the Government to accept two adjournment motions—on the IMDT Act and on the Action Taken Report on the Justice Nanavati Commission’s findings on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi.

Advani also raised the Women’s Reservation Bill by criticising Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for her ‘‘baseless allegations against the BJP.’’ Sonia had accused the BJP of going back on its support to the bill. Advani reiterated the BJP’s commitment to the bill ‘‘in any form’’ as long as ‘‘there was an all-party consensus’’.

Advani meets Keshubhai

NEW DELHI: In yet another exercise to quell the growing BJP dissidence in Gujarat, party president L.K. Advani on Tuesday met rebel leader Keshubhai Patel who has been waging a long but hitherto unsuccessful campaign against Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Advani held two meetings with Patel who had recently stepped up the ‘‘oust-Modi’’ campaign. But Patel, after the luncheon meeting with Advani, is back where he started — with more promises that his grievances would be looked into. Both Advani and Patel declined to speak to the media after the meeting.

Despite Advani’s open support for Modi, sources say the Patel camp had not lost hopes of the BJP chief taking action, as he had patiently heard their grievances, including their ‘‘anguish’’ over the CM’s ‘‘style of functioning.’’ Advani is expected to take up the issue with Modi who is scheduled to arrive here on Tuesday to attend a National Integration Council meeting on Wednesday. In a related development, yet another dissident leader and MP, Kashiram Rana, met party general secretary Pramod Mahajan.

On another troubled front in Karnataka, Advani made BJP state legislature party leader B.S. Yediyurappa and national general secretary Ananth Kumar, sit together in a bid to bury their differences. — ENS