BENGALURU: With Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, the top national leaders of the BJP will descend on Karnataka to campaign for the party candidates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and other senior BJP leaders will visit the state at least 2-3 times in the next few weeks for campaigning. The BJP will hold at least 70 meetings, including mega rallies, to reach out to voters.
With just a month left for Phase 1 polling in Karnataka (April 26), the BJP state team will be focusing more on this phase when segments in South Karnataka will go for polling. The party will form four committees, each headed by state BJP chief BY Vijayendra, former CM BS Yediyurappa, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, and a team that will have Central leaders. These teams will be attending public meetings in 2-3 Lok Sabha constituencies daily.
Interestingly, the party has strategised a plan for when national leaders, including PM Modi, will visit the state for campaigning. Accordingly, Vijayendra or Ashoka, or other state leaders will not attend those meetings as most of their time will be consumed attending to protocols. Instead, these leaders will be campaigning in other places. However, Yediyurappa will be present at all these meetings to be attended by BJP top brass leaders.
According to a senior BJP leader, Modi will visit the state four times (two for each phase). Similarly, BJP National President JP Nadda will also visit the state four times, Shah six times, and Yogi Adityanath four times. “PMO will decide the venues depending on the ground situation,” the leader added.
“Whenever the PM comes to Karnataka, the party will assess the situation three times: a week before his visit, during the same week as his visit, and finally, after his visit,” the leader added. The team will also collect details about local issues. The PMO will also draw up some phrases in Kannada, which the PM will use to begin his speeches. Interestingly, all the prior preparation, including surveys, is tech-based, and the PMO will get the feedback with just a click.
BJP-JDS coordination committee meet on March 29
BJP State General Secretary P Rajeev said that the coordination meeting between the BJP and JDS will be held on March 29. “After this, the nominations and meetings will be done simultaneously. When our alliance candidates are filing nominations, leaders from both parties will be present. In one of the PM’s meetings, former PM Deve Gowda will also be present,” he added.