MYSURU: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi setting a target of 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections to return to power for a third term with flying colours, Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Sunday held an hour-long closed-door meeting to draw a road map for the crucial polls in Karnataka.
Shah, considered the Chanakya of BJP, set an agenda to win all the 28 seats in the state and wanted BJP core committee leaders to work on a road map and strategy to counter Congress toolkit and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s guarantee schemes and also to focus on the government’s economic bankruptcy. The Core Committee devoted much of its time to devise a plan to corn the government both inside and outside the House.
Shah said Siddaramaiah himself has set a narrative for the Lok Sabha elections by holding a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, accusing the Centre of discriminating against Karnataka in releasing central funds.
He said it is a conspiracy against nationalism by playing the regional card. He wondered what other plans Congress has in the run-up to the elections and asked BJP leaders to draw up a counter-strategy and to effectively reach people to expose failures of the government.
BJP leaders were told not to give Siddaramaiah a free run in carrying out propaganda against BJP and to effectively counter it with figures on devolution of taxes and funds released by the Centre to the state, including grants for various programmes, as against the funds allocated by the UPA government.
Work in tandem: Shah to BJP-JDS leaders
Though there was no discussion on sharing of seats between BJP and JDS, who have allied for the Lok Sabha elections, Shah advised leaders of the Two parties to work in tandem to win big in the state. He was specific about winning in the Old Mysuru region, considered the home turf of Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shiva Kumar.
Shah at the cluster meeting, attended by prominent leaders from Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan and Chamarajanagar Parliament constituencies, stressed on winning all the four seats in the region to reach the Prime Minister’s target of 370 seats for BJP and 400 for the NDA block. Core Committee member CT Ravi said seat sharing did not come up for discussion as it will be raised during the NDA meeting.
The core committee will draw a road map after the national executive committee meeting, while the parliamentary committee will decide on candidates for the elections, he said. “Siddaramaiah, while making allegations against the Union government, has announced that he will quit public life if the figures are wrong. I hope he is nearing retirement in politics. He has lied in public, but he cannot do it inside the House as it will attract privilege,” Ravi said.
On discrimination in the allocation of funds, Ravi said the Niti Ayog and Finance Commission have decided the percentage of funds to be allocated to states, but southern states have politicised the issue. He said there is a clear understanding between BJP and JDS leaders, and it will be percolated down to the cadres. He alleged that both the CM and deputy chief minister are in a race to loot the state.
BJP picks Bhandage, not Rajeev, for lone RS seat
Bengaluru: The BJP on Sunday announced Narayanasa Krishna Bhandage as the candidate for Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka. This belies speculation that the party would again choose Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar for the seat. P4