On Day 2 of Big BJP Meet, Focus on Mega Counter-Campaign Over Land Bill

Union minister Nitin Gadkari today made a power point presentation at the conclave, highlighting how the government's land bill scores over the version of its predecessor, the Congress-led UPA.

Mr Gadkari also announced a mega outreach plan where a team of national and state-level BJP leaders will travel across the country to dispel doubts and fears that of new land bill will only benefit industry and not farmers. A series of rallies are likely to be held over the next three months as part of that counter-campaign.

The Congress, which has severely attacked the government's land ordinance or emergency executive order which aims to make land purchases easier for industry and infrastructure projects, has planned a massive farmers' rally on April 19, which is likely to see an appearance by its Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who has been on a sabbatical from his party.

Prime Minister Modi set the tone yesterday for the BJP's planned aggressive counter-campaign by attacking the Congress at a rally in Bengaluru. "People launch campaigns for farmers just for politics, they don't understand basic issues," the PM said, adding, "I was raised among the poor, I understand farmers' pain... their interests must be protected."

A major chunk of his speech addressed farmers on a day that President Pranab Mukherjee signed off on the latest version of the controversial land acquisition ordinance, which was sent to him with amendments after the government failed to pass it in Parliament.

The ordinance now includes nine changes made when a bill to replace it was passed in the Lok Sabha last month. With no possibility of the bill making it through the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling BJP and its allies are in a minority, the government had no option but to issue the ordinance again.

A political resolution outlining the party's future plan - as it gears up for crucial elections this year in big states like West Bengal and Bihar - will also be unveiled at the meeting today.

The conclave will be also be used to find ways to retain and expand the 17 crore votes the BJP polled in the May 2014 national elections.

A colossal defeat in the Delhi elections earlier this year has also alerted the party to the need to expand its presence in states where it is weak, like the southern states.

In 2013, the Congress wrested Karnataka from the BJP, which had won the state five years earlier in its first such success in the south.