BJP National Executive Meeting : Atalji’s margdarshan

We can turn challenges into
opportunities : Atalji

The meeting concluded with the margdarshan by the former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajapayee. Highlights of the points made by him:

It is the first meeting where Pramodji is not present. We will continue to miss him in future too. This is so because for him the party was supreme and everything else secondary. If he was shifted from one position to another keeping in view the needs of the organisation, he always accepted it with a smile. This provided strength to the organisation and instilled mutual affection.

Our Party President was referring to yesterday’s incident concerning the Yatra. I had to go in between and I feel it. He has full right to complain but I was helpless. I had to leave. If in the environment we create in the party we are unable to express our inner feelings honestly, it should make us realise that something is amiss.

In many States we are running Governments. It is a big responsibility on our shoulders. It is true that the way Communist parties are moving ahead fast, we should not ape them, but we should learn the art of getting renewal of mandate for our government. It is a great test to get back in power. We may go on repeating hundred times that the NDA Government performed well. There us no doubt we indeed did well, yet, something was lacking. The people praised our work but did not renew their mandate to rule. In the States where we are ruling, we must resolve to retain power. We should work out a strategy for it. In some States we are running a coalition government in alliance with other political parties. Strengthening a coalition government without weakening our own self is a difficult task. We should ponder over it as well.

A short while ago we were discussing Karnataka. We are running a government on the strength of our members in the House. Outsiders cannot cause any crisis for us. We are capable of converting a crisis into an opportunity. But if we fail to make the best of an opportunity, that only means that something was lacking. There is no reason why we should fail to run a government. Our success depends on how we behave with each other and what kind of people we take along.

Some people are leaving the party. Though they are not many, yet they are leaving We should introspect about it. We are ready to suffer any setback, if there is no other way out, but losing someone from our ranks is a big loss to us. Therefore as I said earlier, there is an urgent need to get ready to move ahead with a sense of mutual affection and cooperation. Whatever problems may arise we will face them collectively.

I have been watching the Party President conduct the proceedings of the meeting for the last two days. From the way he conducted the proceedings I felt assured that he has the ability to take everybody along. We should perform our own duty. We should go back from here with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and vigour. In today’s changed situation if we could usher in certain changes by performing our duties and doing hard work then there could be little doubt that the country’s future would be bright.