BENGALURU: Four to five teams of senior BJP leaders, including former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and Basavraj Bommai, former ministers R Ashoka, Govinda Karjol and KS Eshwarappa, state party president Nalin Kateel and others, will start a statewide tour to help the party recover the lost ground ahead of the zilla and taluk panchayat, BBMP and Lok Sabha elections.
BJP leaders told The New Indian Express that they will go in teams of two each to meet the party cadres and district leaders. While preliminary meetings have been held, the final meeting is expected soon to decide which leaders will go to which areas. Each team is expected to cover six districts.
The teams will try to dispel the impression that BJP is not with the Lingayat community as it cost the party dear in the Assembly polls. Karjol said, “We will take it up in the party and decide which team goes where. The time is now for the party to regroup, strategise and fight back.”
Eshwarappa said, “We will meet our party workers across the state and interact with them.” Meanwhile, BJP national general secretary, Karnataka in-charge, Arun Singh, national general secretary CT Ravi and others will be present at a legislature party meeting on Thursday morning. What is interesting is that the leaders will hold separate meetings with losing candidates in the afternoon. The core committee meeting is in the evening.
The party will get feedback from the cadres on choosing the opposition leader and party president, whose names will be finalised soon. While former CM Basavaraj Bommai is the clear frontrunner for the opposition leader’s post and enjoys good support, many are opposed to him and they may back alternative candidates. While Lingayat leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has caste on his side, he may be lacking on other fronts. Some suggested that a Vokkaliga leader too may be picked, considering that the BJP has done well in Mandya and Old Mysore areas. If that happens, Dr CN Ashwath Narayan and R Ashoka are in the lead.