BENGALURU: Union Home Minister Amit Shah hinted at a change in the party’s president post during his visit to Bengaluru on Thursday, and the possibility of minister V Sunil Kumar being appointed the state chief. According to sources, Shah had a report on the party’s chances in the 2023 assembly polls, and took stock of the situation in Karnataka, especially the coastal region, after the murder of BJYM leader Praveen Nettaru.
Since one of the survey reports indicates that some assembly seats held by the BJP in the coastal and Malnad region, including Home Minister Araga Jnanendra’s constituency Thirthahalli, could face a tough challenge, the RSS leadership reportedly suggested that Sunil Kumar, a backward Billava leader, be appointed state chief.
The Congress has already appointed former chief minister S Bangarappa’s son Madhu Bangarappa as vice-chairperson of its manifesto committee, with an eye on the community’s votes, and suggested that opposition leader B K Hariprasad, also a Billava, concentrate on the community vote bank. It was Bangarappa who had helped the BJP make inroads into the Malnad region, and the community had rallied behind him when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Shivamogga on the BJP ticket in 2004.
Now, the BJP is thinking of appointing Sunil to counter the Congress strategy, a source said. Appointing a Vokkaliga as president was also discussed, but the leaders were not convinced as to what extent it would work, with former prime minister H D Deve Gowda still a force to reckon with in the Vokkaliga bastion of Old Mysuru. The names of Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje and National General Secretary C T Ravi also came up.
Shah seeks poll roadmap
Amit Shah held talks with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday, and asked him to prepare a roadmap to face the 2023 Assembly polls. He was not happy with the turn of events, especially the party workers’ outrage against the Bommai government, and ABVP activists storming Home Minister Araga Jnanendra’s residence after the murder of Praveen Nettaru.
He reportedly pulled up BJP state president Nalinkumar Kateel, as the three murders took place in his LS constituency, Dakshina Kannada, and also Araga Jnanendra over the law and order situation in coastal Karnataka. Kateel had briefed Shah over phone about the situation on Wednesday evening, and again spoke to him in the morning. Shah also instructed Araga and Kateel, who have the strong backing of the RSS, on how to take the party workers into confidence and ensure the party’s image doesn’t get damaged further. Post lunch, he held talks separately with Bommai and Araga.
Visit to Mother Dairy
After the Confederation of Indian Industry event, Amit Shah paid his visit to the KMF’s milk dairy in Yelahanka, and keenly watched the milk powder and packaging process. But he could not visit the
ice-cream plant since it is adjacent to a residential apartment, and could give rise to security issues. CM Bommai, Cooperation Minister S T Somashekar, KMF Chairman Balachandra Jarkiholi, MLA S R
Srinivas and others were present.