Representatives from 10 countries to meet BJP leaders today
Representatives of 18 political parties from 10 countries will meet with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, and Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on Wednesday. The BJP invited political delegates from around the world in April to observe its election campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. This meeting forms part of the "KNOW BJP" initiative launched by Nadda in 2023 on the party's 43rd foundation day.
Delegates from diverse political parties attend the meeting
The international delegates attending the meeting include Australia's Liberal Party, Vietnam's Communist Party, Bangladesh's Awami League, Israel's Likud Party, Uganda's National Resistance Movement, Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi, and Russia's United Russia Party, among others. However, no representatives from the United States were invited. "The US parties are not structured like parties in India...In the US...a party worker may not know the name of his party's chairman because the system makes only the office of the president...prominent," a BJP official said.
Absence of US, Pakistani parties explained
Similary, no political party from Pakistan was invited due to ongoing tensions between India and its neighboring country. China's Communist Party and Bangladesh's opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), linked with an "India Out" campaign on social media, were also not invited. Vijai Chauthaiwale, head of the BJP's foreign diplomacy wing, earlier emphasized that this isn't the first time the party has invited foreign representatives and diplomats. He cited previous invitations during state elections in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
