Goa BJP hopes to draw mileage from conclave DH News Service/ PANAJI, Apr 11
The Bharatiya Janata Party�s three-day national executive committee meeting will get underway here tomorrow, with the party chief Jana Krishnamurthy presiding over an office bearers� meet in the morning to draw up a schedule. The five-star Goa Marriott Resort on the banks of the River Mandovi which will be the venue of the meet, was today getting a complete security runover. The 165-room hotel which is to accommodate a number of 173 delegates will be totally cordoned off tomorrow, officials said. The BJP conclave also comes at a crucial time for Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who unexpectedly dissolved the state assembly half-way through its term. Mr Parrikar and Governor Mohammed Fazal have been challenged in the courts for their actions by five petitions moved by the Congress and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). The Goa chief minister is keen to use Prime Minister A B Vajpayee�s charisma to counter growing public disenchantment with the BJP, in the aftermath of the communal flare-up in Gujarat. BJP leaders here have become increasingly uneasy about their poll prospects, in the face of the party�s declining image. Goa�s Catholic and Muslims make for 35 per cent of the state�s electorate. Mr Parrikar who was instrumental in changing the venue of the national executive meet from Pune to Goa, plans to now make the most of the prime minister�s presence. Mr Vajpayee is to unveil an Ambedkar statue in the capital, and will also distribute certificates to beneficiaries of welfare schemes Mr Parrikar has launched with an eye on the election. But it is the public meeting the prime minister is to address tomorrow evening after he arrives by a special air force plane, that BJP politicians propose to exploit to the maximum. Over 800 buses have been readied to transport people from the interiors to ensure a huge turnout. Many expect Mr Vajpayee will denounce the communal violence in Gujarat in no uncertain terms, with a view to the party�s electoral prospects here. The BJP meet will also help a number of hotels here tide over the unprecedented slump of the past months. Apart from the Goa Marriott, where 75 rooms and all conference facilities have been reserved by the party, the Cidade de Goa will house some of the 25 Union ministers and others, while the Nova Goa in the heart of Panjim is to serve as the media centre and accommodate journalists. Union Minister L K Advani has decided to stay at the Raj Bhavan, BJP leaders said. Mr Vajpayee�s advisers have this time selected the upmarket Taj Hermitage for him and his entourage. Located at Fort Aguada, Sinquerim, which is part of the famous Calangute beach stretch, the Hermitage has played host to a number of world leaders including Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher, who stayed there during the Commonwealth summit held here in 1983. - Forwarded by www.goa-world.net ------------------------------------------------- This mail helped a tree grow. Know more at http://green.sify.com Take the shortest route to success! Click here to know how http://education.sify.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
