Hectic political activities are taking place in Tamil Nadu, though elections are several months away. Just a couple of days after film star 'Captain' Vijayakanth launched his own party, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam in front of nearly four lakh people, the Bharatiya Janata Party is going to hold its National Executive Committee meet in Chennai.
It was amidst indiscipline, dissent and divisions that the 3-day meet of the BJP began in Chennai on Friday morning. One thing is sure; the meet will open a Pandora's box, from which many voices and many opinions will emerge. And, the major issue, though denied by almost all the senior leaders, is going to be L K Advani continuing as the president.
The expulsion and re-induction of Madan Lal Khurana, the Mohammed Ali Jinnah controversy and, of course, Uma Bharati's outburst against Advani still fresh in the minds of all, it is going to be a stormy session at the low-profile Hotel Savera in Chennai.
The image of the BJP has changed from a disciplined party to a party that has several voices and it is going to be extremely tough for the party president to keep all the members together under his wing. BJP's senior vice-president, M.Venkaiah Naidu also admitted to the press on Wednesday that the party's image had dented because of the recent developments.
"There has been some amount of dent in the image of the BJP in the recent past. But we have the capacity, calibre and cadre to remove it. We will remove the misconceptions and wrong perception," he said.
It may be a strange coincidence, but several state leaders of the BJP have started talking about having an alliance with the DMDK. Though Vijaykanath prefers to go it alone in the coming assembly elections, he is not averse to forming alliances with those who approach him. The question is, will the BJP discuss this issue at the meet, especially when it is being held in Chennai and the Tamil Nadu elections are soon approaching.
Though the party's agenda includes coming out with a resolution of the UPA government's betrayal of the common man, the price rise, politics of appeasement and vote bank, spurt in terrorist and extremist activities and the coming assembly elections, what is going to dominate the meet are not all these pressing issues but the continuation of the party president itself.
The meet might cause much embarrassment to the party and the party chief, though Naidu was hopeful that the it would help the party refurbish its image.