Just days ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high level strategy meeting at his residence on Wednesday night that stretched on for close to two and a half hours.
Top BJP Leaders In The Room
The marathon huddle brought together Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin and the party's organisational general secretary BL Santosh alongside the Prime Minister. The sheer length of the discussion pointed to a packed agenda covering both party matters and parliamentary business.
Mapping Out The Organisation And The Session Ahead
According to sources, the meeting's central purpose was to finalise the framework for a new BJP organisational team. Alongside that, leaders spent considerable time chalking out the party's approach to the upcoming monsoon session. Talks also touched on expanding the organisation, campaign strategy for states headed to elections, and the possibility of a cabinet expansion.
A Fresh Push On The NCP's Sharad Pawar Faction
A significant chunk of the conversation was devoted to the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction. Following a recent statement by NCP MP Supriya Sule, the BJP leadership is now working on a plan aimed at securing the backing of all eight of the faction's MPs.
That said, the party currently has no plans to bring all of Sharad Pawar's senior leaders into the NDA fold. Sources indicate that during Sharad Pawar's recent meeting with the Maharashtra Chief Minister, he was made aware of this stance. Beyond that, the government has all but secured assurances of support from NCP MPs on key legislation, including bills on delimitation and women's reservation, as well as other important pieces of legislation.
Why The Numbers Game Matters For The Government
The strategy is straightforward, if the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction MPs stand with the government through the entire monsoon session, the ruling side gets a direct boost in numbers on the floor of the House. It would also help the government pile psychological pressure on the opposition benches. Sources say the meeting made one thing clear, Sharad Pawar faction MPs will not attend NDA meetings, but they are expected to back the government when key bills come up for a vote.
