External affairs minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj likely to move a proposal in the party executive later in the evening.
New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah’s current tenure is likely to be extended by a year at the national executive meeting here Saturday. He had been elected president in January 2016 for three years.
Instead of going for his re-election, the party has decided to defer the election by a year in view of the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the next six-seven months.
Sources claim that external affairs minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj is likely to move a proposal on extending Shah’s term in the party executive later in the evening.
Shah became party president in 2014 taking charge from Rajnath Singh, and then got re-elected in January 2016 for three years. Singh, who became home minister, was relieved from the post although his tenure as party president was not over yet. When Shah took over, Singh had then clarified that this would be not counted as first tenure of Shah.
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BJP party president usually gets two terms. Shah is serving his first term which will be over in January 2019.
Focus on farmers’ issues, says Shah
Earlier, addressing the BJP national executive meeting, Shah asked party’s state unit chiefs and office-bearers — especially those from poll-bounds state such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — to stay focussed on farmers’ issues.
BJP has also renamed its economic resolution as ‘Krishi resolution’.
“We have been asked to promote government’s decision of increasing MSP for crops to every household of farmers. There will be a targeted campaign to this effect,” said a source.
“Every unit will identify a region and will work on spreading the good word about increase of the MSP by the Modi government,” added the source.
The move assumes significance given the BJP has drawn flak from opposition regarding poor agriculture growth in the country.
Party and nationalism
Shah is believed to have asked the leaders to focus on strengthening the party as well as nationalism.
“The feeling of nationalism overpowers every other sentiment in the country. And the message that ‘only BJP could save this country’ needs to be sent out to every household in the country,” said the source.
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Shah had also a session with state leaders about issues in their respective states. A few of them raised concerns about SC/ST and upper caste protests. “Shah said that these are just illusions and digressing tactic by the opposition. He said everything is fine and asked us not to worry,” said Dilip Ghosh, BJP’s West Bengal president.
More than 350 BJP leaders from across the country gathered at the Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi to chalk out a strategy for 2019. They will also pay tributes to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee later in the evening.