Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 27:
Apart from the lacklustre performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly elections figuring prominently in a recent BJP North Eastern meet, party leaders stressed on preparing for the next parliamentary election slated
for 2009.Several important functionaries are informed to have participated in the two day BJP Leaders' Meet held at Guwahati on March 24 and 25 during which failure of BJP nominees in the said election were discussed threadbare in addition to the party's high command approving launch of intensive enrolment drive to strengthen BJP bases for the parliamentary election.
The Guwahati meet was held with BJP's National President Rajnath Singh as the chief guest and attended by horse of party's central leaders including its vice president Prof Bal Apte, general secretary (organisation) Ramlal, MPs, State presidents and party MLAs of NE States.
BJP Manipur Pradesh President Dr H Borbabu, vice president Shantikumar, former president M Bhorot, general secretary (admn) Prof S Tiken and other State unit functionaries also participated in the said session.
Other important issues discussed in the Leaders' meet include party's organisational set-up in the NE region, problems afflicting the party and its remedial measures, Centre-State relationship and BJP's prospect in the region in the 2009 Parliamentary election.
Conveying that party's Central leaders took grim note of failure of its candidates to wrest even a single seat in the assembly election, Prof S Tiken told The Sangai Express that some important factors for the debacle mostly concerns internal wrangling causing delay in poll preparedness, presence of anti-party elements within the State organisation and working under trying circumstances due to restriction (ban) imposed against the political organisation that consequently discouraged prospective individuals from contesting the election on BJP ticket.
It may be mentioned that BJP had nominated 14 candidates in the election, including four in the hill district assembly constituencies.
Tiken also informed of Rajnath singh endorsing State BJP's aspiration to contest both the Parliamentary seats in Manipur after the party chief was convinced of a good mandate in the 2009 election.
On instruction of the high command preparation are on to activate 'intensive leaders' base enrolment campaign' in order to capitalise on the high percentage of votes garnered by BJP candidates in the State assembly election, he said while adding that in the course of the campaign party leaders would also discuss on whether to entertain re-entry of individuals who had earlier abandoned the BJP.
A profile on political trend and ambience in the case of Manipur was also submitted wherein party's high command and Central leaders were urged against arriving at any decision without prior consultation or intimation to State BJP functionaries, he informed adding the proposal was positively acknowledged by the party leaders.
Despite absence of BJP representatives from Manipur in the Parliament, Central leaders assured to highlight State issues in the floor of the House, Tiken informed.