KUDAL (SINDHUDURG), May 10: The State executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today patted itself on the back for its recent successes at the local government body elections, which the party described as definite gains. The party's two-day executive meet, the first major political event in Kudal, near Shiv Sena minister Narayan Rane's constituency (Kankavli), will discuss the organisational plans of the party for the next few months including the enrollment of lifelong supporters who would donate amounts of Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 or Rs 10,000 on a yearly basis.

Briefing reporters after the session on the present political situation, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde rattled off figures to show how the party was taking root in the State. Of the nine corporations in the State, in two the party has its mayor, in one a deputy mayor, and the chairmanship of the standing committee in four corporations. The party had increased its number of corporators from 119 to 206 in all since the previous elections.

The party had also achieved the figure of 232 members in the 29 zilla parishads in the State, and in all, 478 panchayat samiti members. While the party had representation in 22 zilla parishads in the previous elections this year it raised this figure to 27 zilla parishads, Munde said. the party did not open its account in the Satara and Kolhapur ZPs.

In all the local bodies, women, dalit and adivasi candidates put up an impressive showing, with 60 per cent cent of these winning in reserved seats, Munde said.

Informing that the party had performed well in Vidarbha, North Maharashtra and Marathawada, while lagging behind in Eastern Maharashtra, the Munde claimed that while the Congress had won two-thirds of the seats in the previous election, this time round their strength was down to fifty per cent (in local body polls).

The party meet has allocated one session tomorrow for the development of Konkan, in which the demand for a separate development Board for the region is likely to be made by way of a resolution.

Answering various questions on the plans to develop Sindhudurg district as a tourism destination, Munde assured that the State government was alive to the sensitivity of ecological preservation among the local people. ``Tourism will not be allowed to trample upon the district's environmental and ecological wealth,'' he said.

He also said the government was leaving no stone unturned to relocate fishermen who would be displaced by the health resort project, proposed at Velagar-Shiroda to be constructed by the Taj group of hotels.

National general secretary Pramod Mahajan is attending the meet on both days. All party MLAs, MLCs, ministers, district presidents and secretaries are attending. Party MPs Ram Naik, Ram Kapse and Jaiwantiben Mehta, Gunwant Sarode, Pandurang Hazare are also present.

Sena MP from Rajapur, Suresh Prabhu, who was in the region to attend another function, also came to meet his friends in the BJP during lunch. An open house session of locals with the BJP ministers is planned later this evening at the site of the meeting.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.