Party above individuals: BJP's message via Jaipur conclave

Mukesh Ranjan

Jaipur, May 19

A three-day conclave of BJP national office-bearers and state unit chiefs began here today with the party aiming to send across a message stressing “organisation was bigger than individual ambitions”. BJP chief JP Nadda chaired a meeting of 25 national office-bearers who are in-charge of states and gathered feedback on their respective territories.

Asked why Jaipur was chosen as the venue when the state polls were a year-and-a-half away, a BJP leader said, “The Rajasthan unit has been plagued by factionalism. Nadda ji wants the state unit to sink differences. They were told to make arrangements for the event on their own without central help.”

Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia said the aim was to deliver a “message of unity” for the 2023 Assembly and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Another leader said a message had also been conveyed to former CM Vasundhara Raje’s supporters that “individual loyalty won’t pay them any dividend”.

Nadda was accorded a grand reception in Raje’s presence at the airport. His entourage to the meeting venue, a five-star hotel about 30 km away, turned into a mega roadshow. A senior state unit functionary said the BJP had held such a gala event for the first time since 2003.