MYSURU: BJP, which wants to come back to power to stop Congress from gaining ground ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, has decided to focus on winning the most seats in Old Mysuru to take control of the state.
BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh, touring Old Mysuru, told workers that the region should perform better than Chikkamagaluru, Udupi, Madikeri, and Mangaluru that contribute a good chunk of seats to the party. But to come to power with an absolute majority, the Old Mysuru region should contribute in a big way as surveys are predicting 103 seats for BJP.
Ridiculing that they have not heard of agencies that have given 130 seats for Congress, he recalled that the surveys that had predicted over 130 seats for Congress in the previous election had gone wrong and BJP emerged as the single-largest party. He said the ground situation will change once PM Narendra Modi kickstarts his campaign on April 29.
Santhosh told a BJP digital workers’ meeting that the party needs 1.5 crore votes to win 133 seats in Karnataka and it would not be a big task as the party had secured 1.80 crore votes in the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.
On the Congress’ decision to scrap the new reservation policy increasing the quota to Vokkaligas, Lingayats and SC/STs, he asked KPCC chief DK Shiva Kumar whether the Congress would restore the 4% quota to Muslims.
Santhosh said CM Basavaraj Bommai had no confusion over contesting from Shiggaon. But, he said, referring to CLP leader Siddaramaiah, that a Mysuru (leader), who had gone to Badami and then went to Kolar, has finally returned to Varuna as he could not find a safe seat. Congress is sure of losing Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan because of infighting, he added.