MYSURU: In a bid to checkmate Siddaramaiah’s influence over the AHINDA (Kannada acronym for Minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits) voters, the BJP has begun the spadework in all Assembly constituencies and party mandals. Young leaders will reach out to backward communities with a list of welfare programmes released by both the Union and State governments.
The party has 330 mandals in Karnataka and has conducted a series of meetings in this regard. The BJP’s backward classes cell has selected 10 people belonging to dominant backward castes in each mandal and is in the process of educating them on the schemes and initiatives of the governments.
According to insiders, the next two years are crucial for the party in Karnataka as there are a string of elections in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The state leadership feels that the focus should now be on organising the party to win the urban local body polls and the 2023 Assembly polls followed by the 2024 General Elections.
The BJP, which has held meetings of Backward Classes in Belagavi, Hubballi, Davanagere, Mysuru and Udupi, will hold brainstorming sessions in Bengaluru. In order to win over the Backward Classes and Dalits, the BJP has been highlighting that Siddaramaiah did not accept the socio-economic survey during his tenure as the CM. RDPR Minister K S Eshwarappa has said the government will accept the recommendations once the Backward Classes Commission submits its report.
Addressing a Backward Classes convention in Mysuru on Wednesday, Eshwarappa said Siddaramaiah should not mislead the Backward Classes and Dalits. Accusing the Congress leader of betraying JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda by quitting the regional party to join the Congress, he said, “He will quit Congress if he is asked to resign as Opposition leader.
“Siddaramaiah, who lost from Chamundeshwarai in 2018, has now joined hands with JDS MLA G T Devegowda to safeguard his political future as he fears defeat even in Badami. BJP has defeated Rahul Gandhi. And coming together of Siddaramaiah and G T Devegowda will not have any impact on BJP,” he said.