[BJP News] Patel replaces vemuri as OFBJP-US

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Group)>vaidika1008 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>[bJP News] Patel replaces vemuri as

OFBJP-US>Mon, 20 Jun 2005 12:14:30 -0700>>Patel replaces Vemuri as

OFBJP-US>Lalit K Jha>Hindustan Times>Minneapolis, June 20,

2005>http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5967_1405226,001600060016.htm>>The

Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party in the United States (OFBJP-US)>has

changed its leadership mid-term. Still nearly two and half years left to>his

second three-year term as OFBJP-US president, Subrahmanyam Vemuri from>Illinois

was replaced by Chandra Kant Patel, known party hardliner and>considered close

to Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS), at the annual national>executive committee

meeting held at Chicago over the weekend (June 18-19).>>Vemuri was elected as

the OFBJP-US president for the first time in 2002 and was>reelected in November

2004 for his second three-year term till December 2007.>>Even as Vemuri told

this correspondent that he resigned because he "felt" he had>accomplished

whatever he had targeted for himself, it is understood that he put>in papers as

a result of some strong resentment brewing against him and the>"impression"

gaining ground among the OFBJP-US members and some of its leaders>that there

was immediate need for the party to be more effective in the

United>States.>>"Patel is dynamic and very resourceful. He loves traveling. He

has expressed his>desire to tour the entire nation (U.S.) to open more chapters

and bring in more>and more people to the OFBJP fold," Dinesh Agrawal, the former

president,>said.>>At present the OFBJP-US has ten chapters in the United States,

New York, New>Jersey, Connecticut, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago,

Washington,>Atlanta and Tampa, many of which are considered to be weak. During

his tenure,>Vemuri opened five chapters.>>In his first media reaction, Patel

said that his first step would be to>constitute strong organisational

machinery, which is vibrant and dynamic and>help in rejuvenating the

OFBJP-U.S.>>"I would carry forward, from where Vimuri left," said Patel, who

was the>OFBJP-U.S. vice president under Vimuri. The new team is expected to

be>constituted within the next one month.>>"My main goal would be to initiate

steps to glorify BJP in the United States and>to work towards those measures to

bring the party back to power in India," he>said.>>BLUE PRINT FOR BJP'S REVIVAL

IN INDIA>>Even though, one wonders, how much their views would be heard back

home by the>top BJP leadership, the OFBJP-U.S. at its meeting held marathon

sessions over>the weekend to prepare a blue print for the party's revival and

the road map>for it coming back to power in India.>>As the new president, Patel

would be taking these recommendations and>resolutions of the OFBJP-U.S. national

executive to the central party>leadership during his trip to India in

July.>>"Going back to our distinct ideological roots and fundamental values,

which we>had to leave aside during the rule of the National Democratic Alliance

(NDA)>due to coalition dharma, should be the focal point of the BJP now,"

Agrawal>observed in his power point presentation at the meeting.>>Expressing

concern over the various contradictory statements coming from senior>leaders of

the Sangh Parivaar – BJP, VHP and RSS --, the national executive is>believed to

have urged the leaders in India to adopt a more coordinated>approach as their

current behaviour was only resulting in "confusing" the>common party

worker.>>Another power point presentation, analyzed in detail the performance

of the BJP>in the Opposition in the past one year, while the third one dealt in

detail the>causes of BJP's defeat in the 2004 elections.>>"We did a critical

appraisal of all these issues for each State and the nation>as a whole also,"

Vemuri

observed.>>>>------------------------------->This

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