Soon after the completion of elections to five State Assemblies, Karnataka is now on the radar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central unit with just over a year left for the Assembly elections here, which is considered the party’s gateway to the south.
This is evident with Union Home Minister and party’s master strategist Amit Shah set to visit the State on April 1. While the visit is to officially launch the logo of Ksheera Abhivridhi Bank and also the reintroduce Yashaswini programme at a mega event, he is bound to meet top leaders of the party State unit. This is being seen as the formal beginning of election preparations for the BJP State unit.
“Mr. Shah’s visit will mark the beginning of the yearlong calendar of election-related activities for the party,” said a leader, who is part of the party State unit’s think tank. “Karnataka is a crucial State where the BJP wants to retain power by riding on various factors, especially its recent victory in four State Assemblies. In this context, Mr. Shah is expected to provide a road map for the BJP State unit to prepare for the 2023 Assembly elections,” he observed.
A complex state
Karnataka is also a complex State for the BJP as the party’s State unit has the onerous task of taking along all the senior leaders, including the former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa, without compromising with its authority. In addition to this, the ruling BJP has to keep intact its support base of Lingayats on the one hand and also woo other communities, especially Vokkaligas, on the other, if it has to come to power on its own.
The task of making inroads into the areas where the party does not have a stronghold assumes greater focus now, in the backdrop of increasing polarisation of society due to a slew of communally sensitive developments, including the controversy over hijab and anti-conversion Bill, observed a prominent leader from the BJP State unit.
Organisational rejig
Interestingly, ahead of Mr. Shah’s proposed visit, the speculation over the possibility of an organisational rejig is also doing the rounds in the BJP circles, though the term of incumbent State president Nalin Kumar Kateel and his team of office-bearers expires only by July-August.
Indications of Mr. Shah focusing on party organisation as well as elections are evident with party national general secretary and State in charge Arun Singh scheduled to arrive in Bengaluru on March 31, a day ahead of Mr. Shah’s visit.
Sources close to Mr. Singh say that he has decided to camp in the State for eight to 10 days a month from April to focus on issues related to strengthening the party organisation ahead of the elections. He is also expected to hold chintan shibirs (brainstorming sessions) with party’s key workers to get their feedback on various issues related to the elections.
