HUBBALLI/ BENGALURU: The BJP’s Jan Sankalp Yatra, which was originally mooted to focus on districts and constituencies where the party was “concerned about its strength”, will now be extended till January. The yatra is being taken out across the state and not just in places where the party support is weak as was originally planned.
Both former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, who is member of the Parliamentary Board, and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai have been touring the state extensively as a part of the yatra. As the Assembly elections are barely five months away, there is tremendous pressure on the CM to bring the party back to power. The one vehicle that the BJP is banking on is the Jana Sankalpa Yatra, which is being held across the state to highlight the achievements of the double engine governments and reminding people about the failures of the Congress in general and the Siddaramaiah government in particular.
In Hubballi on Sunday, Bommai pointed out that the yatra has been getting tremendous response across the state and said it will be intensified further to win the confidence of the people. During an interaction with The New Indian Express recently, the CM had expressed his desire to bring the party back to power. The yatra meetings have received favourable response in taluks and districts where it has been held.
Party insiders said the yatra will keep the party momentum going till January after which Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the central leadership, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are expected to take charge. Elections for Karnataka has to be held around May, and there is speculation that they might hold the elections when it is most favourable for the party.
Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Bommai said since it has been the election year he is going to the people like before. “The yatra has been held successfully in Hyderabad-Karnataka, Central Karnataka and Mumbai -Karnataka regions. It will be intensified in the current month. Along with this, the welfare schemes of both the state and the Union governments will be taken to the people to win their confidence,” he said.
CFI graffiti: Cops will take action
Reacting to the graffiti at several places in Shiralakoppa asking people to join the banned Campus Front of India, the CM said the police will take necessary action in this regard.