BJP drafts agenda for early polls

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee (L) and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani (R) listen to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Venkaiah Naidu (C) as he makes an address at the party's National Executive Meeting in Hyderabad yesterday. Senior leaders of India's ruling Hindu nationalist party BJP, including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee are attending the two day-long meeting to reach a consensus on possible early parliamentary election. PHOTO: AFP

Vajpayee was due to address a rally of workers of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the two-day meeting in the southern city of Hyderabad that could set a date for general elections.

"The focus will be on the issue of advancing elections," BJP president Venkaiah Naidu said.

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"The party will deliberate and make known its preference but it is the prerogative of the prime minister to take a final decision."

Party spokesman Prakash Javadekar told AFP the conclave would pass resolutions on political and economic issues, as well as last week's South Asian summit in Islamabad where India and Pakistan agreed to restart a stalled dialogue.

BJP leaders met behind closed doors in a convention centre festooned with the party's trademark saffron and green flags and its election symbol, the lotus.

Posters of Vajpayee and banners hailing his government's performance decorated a four-km stretch of road leading to the venue.

The tone for the conclave was set Saturday with party general secretary Pramod Mahajan suggesting elections be held in March. The deadline is September 30.

Another BJP spokesman, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, said the polls should be held by mid-April before the harvest season sets in.

Javadekar said the BJP wanted to take advantage of a strong showing in December regional elections and on a "feel-great" factor with soaring growth and peace moves with Pakistan.

The economy shot up 8.4 percent in the quarter ending September on the back of a bountiful monsoon.

Naidu said the BJP had also "secured the consent" of allies in the coalition of some 20 parties on the timing of parliamentary polls.

As if on cue, the BJP's biggest ally in southern India, the Telegu Desam Party headquartered in Hyderabad, Sunday voiced support for early national polls.