BJP calls ‘isolated’ leaders for 2-day ‘chintan baithak’

Besides state BJP president Laxmikant Bajpai, general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal, state general secretaries and presidents and organisation secretaries of all eight regional units, Mathur has also called former party chiefs to the closed-door meeting in Chitrakoot. Union Minister Kalraj Mishra and national joint general secretary Shiv Prakash are also likely to attend.

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Senior leaders invited to the meeting include former state presidents Surya Pratap Shahi, Vinay Katiyar, Om Prakash Singh and Ramapati Ram Tripathi. In the recent past, they have participated very little in party activities, some were not even invited to speak at important state level meets.

Both Katiyar and Om Prakash are backward caste leaders and BJP has been facing difficulty in wooing backward voters in its ongoing membership campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

Asked about the agenda of the meeting in Chitrakoot, Bajpai said: “It is a general meeting to be attended by selected senior leaders, who will review the progress of ongoing programmes and give suggestions for future strategy.”

However, a senior leader invited to the meeting, said: “Such a meeting is called only when negative issues become significant. For example, senior and experienced leaders were neglected and the state unit did not give them due regard… Such practice of ignoring senior and veteran leaders began a few years ago and resolving such issues has become essential ahead of the Assembly polls.”

Another BJP leader said that the prevailing political scenario in the state will be discussed at the meeting. “Senior leaders like former state presidents will give suggestions regarding possible structure and the process of creation of new organisational set up planned after membership drive concludes on March 31,” he added.