In a clear reference to fierce dissidence that the party is facing in its state units, he emphasised the need for strict disciplinary action to deal with the problem.
NEW DELHI: Pressure mounted on BJP chief Rajnath Singh over his style of functioning as party veteran L K Advani advised him to consult his seniors and come out with urgent corrective measures in the backdrop of the Uttar Pradesh debacle.
Singh, who had kept his own counsel while selecting his team of office-bearers and allocating responsibilities, found no support either from former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose brief address to the party's national executive gave no clue of his backing to the party chief.
Advani instead told the BJP president, who has invited disaffection from within the organisation, especially after the party's losses in Uttar Pradesh and Goa, to consult his "senior colleagues" and draw up a task sheet detailing immediate corrective action both at the centre and in states.
The former Deputy Prime Minister put up five questions related to the saffron party's crushing defeat in the home state of the BJP chief.
"Why did a section of our core supporters shift to the Bahujan Samaj Party?" Advani asked, apparently in reference to the BJP's losing its support-base among Brahmins to the BSP, a phemonenon being privately blamed on Singh's candidate selection.
The two-day meeting also heard Vajpayee underlining the need for good governance in BJP-ruled states so as to make the NDA an alternative to the UPA in the next general elections.
A political resolution adopted at the conclave was sharply critical of the Congress-led government and the Congress leadership, but steered clear of the problems the saffron party faced with ally Shiv Sena, which has broken ranks by not supporting NDA-backed presidential candidate Shekhawat.
A resolution on agriculture flayed the UPA for its handling of the farm crisis and came out with a 16-point programme aimed at course correction.
But Uttar Pradesh remained the focus of the conclave, with Advani calling for "honest" introspection on the setback, which Singh had yesterday said should not be a cause for disappointment.
"What were the weaknesses in our party organisation?"asked the former BJP chief, adding mistakes in the campaign management too were required to be identified.
"This introspective analysis should lead to suitable corrective action soon. Needless to add, many of the lessons that we need to learn from the setback in UP have relevance for the party in most other states," Advani remarked.
In a clear reference to fierce dissidence that the party is facing in its state units, he emphasised the need for strict disciplinary action to deal with the problem.
"The inner-party situation in many states needs urgent attention and corrective action. In some places, strict disciplinary action is needed," Advani said as Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi faced a powerful hostile lobby loyal to his predecessor Keshubhai Patel ahead of the state elections.
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