BENGALURU: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting of senior state BJP leaders here on Friday night. Shah is said to have held the meeting in the wake of some prominent Lingayat leaders quitting the party after they were denied tickets for the Assembly polls. He is said to have discussed some damage-control measures with the state BJP leaders.
The late-night meeting was attended by CM Basavaraj Bommai, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Karnataka BJP in-charge Arun Singh and party leaders Annamalai, Shobha Karandlaje and BL Santhosh, among others.
With former CM Jagadish Shettar and former deputy CM Laxman Savadi quitting BJP and joining Congress, it is believed that the saffron party may lose Lingayat votes, especially in the North Karnataka region. Congress took advantage of the recent developments within the BJP and launched a campaign accusing the saffron party of being anti-Lingayat. BJP sources said Shah chose Bengaluru to undo the
damage the party suffered because of the recent exit of some prominent leaders.
Shah takes stock of poll-related rallies
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to former minister KS Eshwarappa on Friday. Sources said Shah also discussed the rallies and events to be held in the state in the coming days in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other national leaders of the party are attending.
Fifty vistaraks (BJP workers from outside Karnataka) met at the party office on Friday. Shah is said to have taken details from them on the party’s prospects in the constituencies assigned to them. Earlier in the day, Shah’s roadshow at Devanahalli was cancelled because of rain. “Due to heavy rain I could not attend the road show at Devanahalli. I bow to the people of Devanahalli for turning out in large numbers despite the adverse weather. I will visit Devanahalli soon. Their enthusiasm shows that the BJP will register a massive victory in Karnataka,” Shah tweeted.