BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will embark on a two-day visit to the national capital on Thursday -- the second in a week -- but this visit comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave him a public pat on the back, and stated that development work in Karnataka will continue under his leadership. Bommai will leave for New Delhi on Thursday afternoon and return on Friday, after meeting Central ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and party National President J P Nadda.
According to sources, he has been called by the party high command to discuss certain state issues, and also to be one of the proposers for the NDA’s presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu, who will be filing her nomination papers at 11am Friday. Chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states and Union ministers have been called by the high command to be present, they added.
After the public rally at Kommaghatta in Bengaluru on Monday, Bommai, who had travelled with Modi to Mysuru on his chopper, reportedly briefed him about his budgetary schemes and their implementation, especially the ‘Raitha Vidhyanidhi’ scholarship introduced for children of farmers and its impact, a source informed TNIE. However, another source said Modi spoke to Bommai personally on other issues as well.
Despite a positive outlook this time, there is again speculation over Bommai’s visit to New Delhi, and whether there will be a cabinet rejig or major changes in the government. Party sources have categorically denied any change, either in leadership or the government, in the near future. Ever since he assumed office on July 28, 2021, Bommai has visited Delhi around 10 times.
In this scenario, the timing of Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje’s visit to New Delhi has given rise to rumours of a change in guard. According to a source, she has also been called to Delhi.
Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who allegedly maintained a distance from Bommai ever since he became chief minister, is also likely to visit the national capital to lobby for a good post ahead of the 2023 assembly polls, sources said. However, with the Presidential elections slated for July 18, and swift political developments unfolding in Maharashtra, immediate changes are unlikely, according to a BJP source.