The dismal performance of State BJP in the recent urban local body (UlB) elections came in for a review in a brainstorming session held here on Friday at the State party headquarters under the chairmanship of party president KV Singh Deo.
Singh Deo stressed on a blueprint for fighting the upcoming general elections in a coherent manner not to allow such drubbings to repeat.
Besides, the party resolved that the leaders must refrain from venting their dissatisfactions in public and should discuss their viewpoints only at party forums.
The seven-hour “Manas Manthan” to introspect the severe debacle in the UlB polls has its significance for the State BJP, particularly for its president Singh Deo, who has been cornered by a section of party leaders for lack of floor management and strategy.
The saffron party, which had bagged 174 of the total 1,147 wards and formed councils in 11 UlBs in the last UlB polls in 2008, could win only in 51 wards this time and emerged as a single-largest party only in one NAC, Rairangpur, and can form council there with the support of others.
After the marathon introspection, party chief spokesman Suresh Pujari in a guarded manner said the debacle of the party in the UlB polls was due to the ruling party’s use of money power and misuse of Government machinery.
However, the dissenters in the party seem to have made up their mind to appeal to the central BJP leadership for changes in State hierarchy.
They point out that despite the NaMo (Narendra Modi) factor the party has failed to form a single UlB council on its own. The dissidents gathered at former State party general secretary Murali Sharma’s residence to chalk out their strategy, including a trip to New Delhi.
This is despite party deputy in-charge of Odisha Arun Singh, who came here to attend the review meeting, reportedly opted for an amicable settlement among State leaders. Former State secretary Tushar Jena was more skeptical as regards the possibility of the party’s success in the ensuing general elections. Former secretary Ajay Das also spoke about the “organisational paralysis”.
Murali Sharma was absent at the meeting. He, however, told reporters over telephone, “We have to sacrifice our personal agenda in order to convert the pro-NaMo wave into ballots in our State.”