RSS-BJP coordination meeting next month

The RSS-BJP coordination committee is likely to meet next month. The meeting, it is learnt, will take up issues which the ruling alliance is going to take up during the Budget Session of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also attended the last coordination committee meeting along with his Cabinet ministers.

With organisational elections currently on in BJP state units before the party names its next national president, the coordination meeting could also have tasks assigned for the next chief. Current party president Amit Shah is likely to get a fresh term. Organisational polls are held every three years in the BJP.

With Assembly elections scheduled in some states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam, the coordination committee is also likely to take up election-related issues.

Speculation is also rife that the expansion and reshuffle of Mr Modi’s council of ministers could also take place after Makar Sankranti. The issue could also be taken up during the meeting. Other organisational issues are also going to be discussed during the meeting, including a new team to assist the next BJP president.

The meeting is likely to take place in the second week of next month. Sources disclosed one of the key issues that the Sangh Parivar leaders could discuss is that of reservation. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks on reservation ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections were perceived as anti-reservation and were used by the Opposition to attack the RSS and the BJP, which lost the elections badly. Since then efforts are on by the Sangh Parivar to assert its support to the reservation issue especially when the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections are scheduled in early 2017. The state has a significant number of SC/ST and OBC votebank. The BJP leadership is also likely to apprise the RSS leadership about its campaign against the Congress, highlighting how the Opposition party is against the development of the country and stalling key bills which would benefit the common man.