Ranchi: The issue of Kanchi Shankaracharya's arrest is expected to figure prominently at the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) national executive beginning in Ranchi tomorrow (Nov 24, 2004) as the party attempts to strike a delicate balance between its Hindutva ideology and compulsions of keeping the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) intact.

While the first national executive in Mumbai, immediately after the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha polls, was overshadowed by differences among the party leadership on continuation of Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister, the coming session is expected to avoid discussing controversies including Uma Bharati's suspension from the party but focus on the challenges confronting it, party sources said.

Spotlight: Kanchi Jayendra Saraswathi's Arrest

To be attended by the party's top brass, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the first meeting after L K Advani took over as the party President would draw up a strategy for the coming Assembly elections in Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana.

The sources said the three-day meeting would target the Congress-led Government on issues, including inflation, national security, de-escalation of troops in Jammu and Kashmir and "deteriorating" condition of farmers.

Though the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) had boycotted BJP leaders, including Advani, at the recent RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) national executive meeting in Haridwar, apparently for "abandoning Hindutva", the arrest of the Kanchi Seer has united the Sangh Parivar once again with all the affiliates hitting the streets on the issue.

While RSS general secretary Mohan Bhagwat had claimed that BJP had given the Sangh fountainhead an assurance on returning to the Hindutva ideology, party leaders have publicly remained non-committal saying they would "formulate a response" after discussions at the party meet.

Though key NDA ally JDU (Janata Dal-United) had expressed reservations over Advani's assertion of BJP's commitment to the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya last month, the saffron party subsequently appeared to have brought around the allies to its viewpoint.

At a recent meeting of NDA leaders, a resolution not only preferred a negotiated settlement of the Ayodhya issue but also stressed on respecting the "aspirations of the majority community and the concerns of the minority community" while doing so. However, the Opposition alliance committed itself to the "Constitutional ideal of secularism."

Adopting a different format, the meeting would begin with a public rally tomorrow to be addressed by both Vajpayee and Advani followed by the inaugural session later in the evening. The public meeting used to be the concluding feature of such meetings.

The public meeting would virtually kick off the party's election campaign in poll-bound Jharkhand.

Unlike the seven star Renaissance hotel in Mumbai where the first national executive in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha debacle was held reflecting the party's power hangover, the meeting this time would be held at the spartan State Government-owned Hotel Ashok, in what is being seen as indicative of the party's coming to terms with its defeat and preparing to make a comeback from the grassroots.