Mumbai: Smarting under the Lok Sabha election debacle and brushing aside the Gujarat controversy, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) National Executive began its two-day deliberations in Mumbai today (June 22, 2004) to chalk out the party's future course of action.

The meeting began with Vande Mataram and lighting of lamp followed by the inaugural address of party president M Venkaiah Naidu.

The party has already clarified that it would not be deliberating upon the removal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi but could dwell upon the prevailing political situation after the Lok Sabha polls and discuss efforts to regain party's premier position.

The meeting will also deliberate on the forthcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.

This is the first National Executive meeting after the BJP was reconstituted following party's loss in the general elections.

The meeting is being held at Hotel Renaissance at Powai with the saffron party coming under flak for its "five star culture". However, the party general secretary Pramod Mahajan clarified that the cost of the conclave would not exceed Rs 15 lakhs.

Among those attending the meeting include former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh and other senior leaders.

BJP Maharashtra unit chief Gopinath Munde welcomed all the 199 delegates from across the country participating in the executive meet.

There was a virtual stampede among media persons to capture Modi on their camera as the embattled Gujarat Chief Minister arrived at the venue.

Modi refused to take any questions from the media and rushed straight to the specially erected pandal in the hotel premises.

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Siddhu, film star-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha and small screen 'bahu' Smriti Irani were among the delegates.