BJP president can veto Govt decision -- Panel

BJP president can veto Govt decision -- Panel
SHARAD GUPTA

NEW DELHI, DEC 25: The BJP president would be armed with power to not only question, but and even veto its Government's decision if recommendations of the Jana Krishnamoorti Committee on party's constitution reforms are accepted in toto at BJP's national council meeting starting at Chennai from December 27.

The Krishnamoorti Panel has recommended formation of a nine-member committee like Akbar's navratnas comprising all top party leaders, to discuss and give a go ahead to various policy decisions being taken by the Government.The move is being seen as an attempt by the party to keep a check on Government policies, especially since Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had snubbed the party at its Bangalore national executive early this year by saying that his would be the "last word in matters of governance".

The committee was likely to emerge as the supreme body in the party, even more powerful than the Parliamentary Board which had control only on legislative business like selection of candidates for Assembly and Parliamentary elections. The committee would not only coordinate between the party and the Government, but would also help the party cadre understand the reason for sudden reversal of, or at least deviation from the policy the party had been pursuing for quite some time.

A senior BJP leader cites the example of BJP leadership suddenly deciding to grant quota to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates in promotions as well a move the party was opposing for a long time.

The committee would also come in handy for the Government to pacify the hardliners within the BJP about the need to put a moratorium on contentious issues like Article 370, Common Civil Code and construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, another leader told The Indian Express.

``The committee would try to minimise the differences in party leaders' stand in the Government and those outside it,'' the BJP leader said. He cited examples of such glaring differences between the party and the Government on issues like swadeshi, Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations, Patents Bill and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The BJP leaders would then be able to explain their cadre why Yashwant Sinha, when in Opposition, opposed the IRA bill but piloted the same after becoming the Finance Minister. ``The IRA bill was introduced by both the United Front and Congress Governments. After coming to power, we became aware of certain things which we did not know when in Opposition. We have already taken care of harmful clauses if any, in the bill,'' another BJP leader said.

The navratna apex committee would be followed by seven-member coordination committees to be constituted from state-level to panchayat level consisting of party organisers and those in legislature, he said. The smooth coordination between the BJP party organisation and its legislative branch would minimise confrontations between the two as well as those between the Government and BJP's ideological allies in the Sangh Parivar.

Other recommendations to be discussed at Chennai are extending the party president's term from present two to three years, while denying second successive term. Thus instead of four years, BJP presidents will be able to retain office only for three years.