PREVIEW-India's Hindu nationalists eye revival at key meet

By Alistair Scrutton

NEW DELHI, Sept 20 (Reuters) - India's Hindu nationalist opposition meets this weekend to resolve a leadership vacuum dogging them for years, and prepare for possible early elections against a ruling coalition hit by political infighting.

Around 200 leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will travel to Bhopal for a meeting of its national executive.

That could be one of its last major party gatherings before elections if the ruling Congress-led coalition calls a snap vote for early next year.

Despite struggling in polls, BJP leaders say they can sniff electoral victory as Congress battles its own leftist allies over a nuclear deal with the United States.

A BJP victory could swing India to a stronger pro-market and pro-U.S. agenda after several years of stagnation in economic reforms and problems over improving relations with Washington, partly due to the government's need to mollify communist allies.

The inability to satisfy them on the nuclear issue has led to the increased speculation about an early vote.

That standoff has coincided with unease at inflation, worries over farming conditions and accusations the government blasphemed by questioning the existence of Lord Ram, a Hindu god.

"We are expecting a general election any time," said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP vice-president.