BENGALURU: Hours after senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi exhorted his party leaders to win 150 Assembly seats, Home Minister Amit Shah, too, discussed the BJP’s strategy to cross the 150-mark in the coming Assembly polls in Karnataka.
Shah directed the state leaders to prepare a roadmap in the run-up to the polls. The party will constitute a team to talk to leaders from other parties who are keen on joining the BJP. On Friday evening, Shah chaired the BJP state unit core committee meeting in Bengaluru, and discussed the party’s poll strategies with senior leaders, including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and former CM B S Yediyurappa.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi said the current political developments in the state were discussed, and the party is confident of winning over 150 seats. “Last time, we won 104 seats and that should not happen again. Now, we have 120 seats, and it has to cross 150,” Ravi said.
‘No discussion on snap polls’
“Based on his (Shah’s) guidance, a roadmap will be prepared to win the elections,” Ravi said. In the 2018 assembly polls, the BJP fell short of getting a simple majority on its own and the party formed the government after some Congress and JDS leaders joined the party.
They were re-elected legislators in the bypolls. Ravi said the party will identify leaders in other parties, who have concern for society and can strengthen the BJP. Many leaders from other parties want to join the BJP. A team will be constituted to talk to such leaders and induct them as per the party’s needs, he said.
Ruling out the possibility of early elections in the state, Ravi said they are always prepared, but elections will be held in April 2023. Responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi exhorting his party leaders to win 150 seats, Ravi said the Congress lost its deposit in 387 seats in Uttar Pradesh, and if Rahul campaigns for the Congress in Karnataka, the BJP will certainly win the polls. BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said current developments in the state, measures to strengthen the organisation and preparations for the polls were discussed. “There was no discussion on early elections and cabinet expansion,” he clarified.
Minor scare for Shah’s convoy
Home Minister Amit Shah’s convoy had to be diverted from its original route when a short circuit in the underground cables resulted in an explosion that spewed thick smoke