BJP's National Executive meet: Advani may not address party in Bengaluru

Bangalore: As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) commenced its largest strategy meet on Thursday since coming to power at the Centre, veteran leader LK  Advani is not likely to address the national executive meet. According to sources, the list of speakers for the meet does not include Advani’s name. [caption id=“attachment_2184277” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “]  Senior BJP leader LK Advani. Reuters[/caption] Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, however, said the process of deciding the agenda for the meet will be finalised only after the office bearers meet ends. “The office bearers meet will decide on the content and agenda of the national executive,” he said. Gowda, however, confirmed that Advani will attend the meet. “Advani ji will come here tomorrow (on Friday). He is a national executive member, not an office bearer so he will come only tomorrow,” he said. Evading a direct reply to the question, party spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said “the party has the guidance of all senior leaders”. Despite repeated questions, the BJP leader refused to say whether or not Advani would deliver a speech. Advani, one of BJP’s main founding members and tallest leaders, has attended and addressed at all national executive meetings of the party since 1980 when the party was founded, except one exception. During the last meet in Goa when Narendra Modi was named the head of the party’s campaign committee in Lok Sabha polls, not only did Advani skip the event but also sent a letter resigning from all posts of the party. His differences with the party’s decision were later reconciled and he took back his resignation. After that, Advani, more than once, has congratulated Modi for leading the BJP to victory in general elections. According to party sources, this time Advani, a three-time BJP president, is not keen on addressing the party’s national executive meet. Sources added that organisation secretary of the party Ramlal met Advani in Delhi days before the meet over the issue. But it was not clear if Advani will speak at the forum. Advani, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Murli Manohar Joshi, is a part of a ‘Margdarshak Mandal’ , or the party’s guiding committee which includes Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh. The three veterans have already been eased out of BJP’s parliamentary board, the highest decision-making body of the party. The guiding committee, however, has not held a single meet since being set up last August. The three-day BJP conclave has its national office bearers’ meet on Thursday and its national executive meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday.