BENGALURU: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting the state on Wednesday, at a time when a section of BJP workers is expressing outrage against the Basavaraj Bommai government over BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru’s murder.S hah will arrive at 11.30 pm here on Wednesday and stay overnight before taking part in the ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry to celebrate the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on Thursday. He will leave for the national capital around 2.30 pm.
Speculation is rife as to whether he will interact with BJP leaders to take stock of the situation in the state, especially in coastal areas. Shah’s visit is expected to boost the morale of BJP workers and send out a message that the party is with them. Some instructions are likely to be passed on to the government too, sources said.
The mass resignation of BJYM workers and storming of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra’s house by party student wing ABVP workers following Nettaru’s murder is a cause of worry for the party ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls.
Chakravarty Sulibele, a right-wing activist and a supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too had attacked the chief minister in a series of tweets on Monday. “BJP still has time to recover. Just reach out to Karyakarta, listen to him. Show the best governance model. Act tough on bad elements. Take hard decisions and act on it. Many like me can never vote for Congress but v are not fools either to keep people like u on power! Jai hind (sic)”, he suggested.
But BJP chief spokesperson MG Mahesh said Shah’s visit has nothing to do with political developments in the state. “It is development-oriented on the invitation of CII as to how to take along leaders from all fronts,” he added.
Ahead of Shah’s visit, Congress did not waste time in speculating about a leadership change. “BJP workers and supporters are exposing irregularities and failures of this government. Bommai, you are a stranger to that party how much ever you wear the Sangh Parivar robes. Is it true that with the grace of Keshava Kripa (RSS Hq in Bengaluru) BJP government seeing its third CM in a row soon,” it tweeted?