BENGALURU: It is not just the masses, BJP national president Amit Shah is keen on gaining into the mind space of the intelligentsia in the state too during his three-day visit to Karnataka starting August 12. Shah, who is set to chair about 25 meetings with party functionaries and various wings of the party, has chalked out an exclusive interaction session with prominent personalities from various walks of life on the first day of his visit.
About 350-400 intellectuals and eminent personalities are being invited for the interaction with Amit Shah being organised at a star hotel on August 12 evening. It will include well known names among lawyers, doctors, writers, armed forces veterans and retired administrators.
Speaking to Express, a BJP functionary involved in the preparations for the event said, “Amit Shah has, in the last three years, succeeded in establishing his credibility among the party rank and file. He is keen to log on to the mind space of intellectuals too. He has succeeded in expanding the mass base of the party and is also laying special emphasis on reaching out to different classes as well.” The functionary refused to disclose the names of the personalities being invited.
According to sources, former Advocate General Ashok Harnahalli, noted writer-actor-director T N Seetharam, lexicographer L S Sheshagiri Rao, writer Sumatheendra Nadig, historian Chidananda Murthy, noted surgeon Dr Devi Shetty and Dr Bhujang Shetty, former India cricketer Vijay Bharadwaj are among those being invited.
The meeting has been organised as part of the larger objective of building bridges with opinion makers in society, try to clear any misconceptions about the party’s ideology and articulate its narrative on various issues which have stirred strong public debate in the country, sources said. The state BJP is preparing to give a rousing reception for Shah on his arrival in Bengaluru on August 12. He is scheduled to inaugurate a library in the BJP state headquarters in Malleswaram. Later in the day, he will chair a series of meetings with state BJP office-bearers, divisional organising secretaries and interact with party MLAs and MPs.
Shah is also set to call on Aduchunchanagiri Mutt seer Nirmalananda Swami and Art of Living Ashram head Sri Sri Ravishankar on August 13 apart from his party-related engagements. The final day of his visit has a long line-up of meetings with Vistaraks (volunteers of outreach programme), important functionaries of Lok Sabha constituencies which BJP failed to win in the previous election and meeting with heads of Yuva Morcha, SC/ST Morcha, etc.
Determined to win the 2018 Assembly election in Karnataka as part of the party’s larger mission to expand its footprint in eastern and southern states, Shah is set to review the preparations for his ‘Mission 150’ in the state and delineate the future course of action during his three-day visit.
