New Delhi: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) meets from Friday to try to revitalise itself amid signs that internal squabbles and state poll losses have dented their momentum ahead of a general election.
Hundreds of leaders of the BJP are meeting in Nagpur until Sunday.
It will be their last major gathering before taking on the ruling Congress-led government at the ballot box in April and May.
A BJP victory could swing India to a stronger pro-market agenda after several years of reform stagnation that have investors worried about India's capacity to sustain growth.
In theory, the BJP should be doing well. India is suffering an economic downturn and food prices have risen sharply, eating into pockets of millions of poor.
Congress has lost a string of state elections in the last year, partly because of inflation and its perceived weak leadership.
Terror attacks in India, including the coordinated attacks in Mumbai in November that killed 179 people, have raised criticism the government was caught off-guard.
Instead commentators sense a sinking feeling. They say it is unclear what BJP stands for, whether the party represents Hindu nationalism, economic reforms or a hardline security stances.
"When it comes to the Big One - the general election - the BJP seems to be strangely dispirited and -- dare one say -- defeatist," wrote political commentator Ashok Malik in the Hindustan Times.
DOWN, DOWN...AND OUT?
The party rose to prominence in the early 1990s on the back of a Hindu revivalist movement and ruled India from 1998 to 2004 promoting economic reforms.
But it suffered a shock 2004 election defeat after its "shining India" failed to resonate with voters.
Despite beating Congress in state elections in early 2008, the party's confidence was hit after it failed in a July confidence vote to force Congress from power over a controversial civilian nuclear deal with the United States.
Then it lost two state polls, in Rajasthan and Delhi after predicting victory in both. In January, BJP politician Kalyan Singh defected to a regional party allied to Congress, undermining the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, the single biggest source of seats in parliament "The BJP has suddenly lost its cards," said political
analyst Amulya Ganguli.
The Hindu nationalism card -- the concept of "Hindutva" that sees India as more of a Hindu than secular nation -- may be failing to attract voters because worries are now more economic, analysts say. Inflation, which reached nearly 13 percent last year, has now fallen to a year low of 5 percent.
The BJP has also failed to galvanise voters by criticising the government for being soft on terrorism.
"The BJP was banking on the terror card, but Congress has recognised it was weak on this front and has given some tough statements we haven't seen for a long time," Ganguli said.
The BJP still hopes this meeting will galvanise the party. Past state elections showed their ability to use hi-tech tools such as computer predictions to outwit a Congress party that observers say has failed to keep up with modern electoral times.
"Our slogan will be Prosperous India, Secure India," said said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP vice-president. "What can the Congress show after five years?"
While quietly-spoken Prime Minister Manmohan Singh struggles to rally voters, the BJP is led by LK Advani, who is known for his fiery speeches.
There have been few opinion polls, and those that are can be unreliable. Gauging voter views is difficult and unreliable.
"The perceived lack of momentum was due to insider opinion rather than outsider points of view," said Swapan Dasgupta, an analyst linked to the BJP who attended several Advani rallies.
"They haven't put final poll machinery into gear but the blue print is ready. The BJP is still a major player."
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