Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to ISRO on Saturday to congratulate the team on the success of Chandrayaan-3 has come as a blessing in disguise for the Opposition BJP, which is trying to use the opportunity to instil confidence among its workers.
The BJP, which is yet to recover from the ignominy of the massive defeat in the Karnataka Assembly polls, is keen to use the Prime Minister’s first visit to Karnataka after the polls to pep up the flagging spirits of party workers. The party has decided to offer a grand welcome to the Prime Minister when he arrives at HAL airport around 5.30 a.m. The party is reportedly hoping to ensure the attendance of about 25,000 workers on that day.
Later, the party is preparing to hold a roadshow on a stretch of nearly one km from Jalahalli circle to ISTRAC in Peenya. According to sources, the BJP is expecting another congregation of about 25,000 workers for the roadshow, which is likely to begin around 6.15 a.m. on that day.
Tempo for LS polls
The party held a meeting of its prominent leaders and Bengaluru city MLAs under the chairmanship of its State president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Thursday to take stock of the preparations. Sources in the BJP said that the party is looking at building a tempo to begin its preparations for the Lok Sabha elections.
In state of confusion
Karnataka party leaders have been in a state of confusion as the Central leadership is yet to appoint the Leader of the Opposition and the State president. The party is also battling with speculations that some of its MLAs, who had come from the Congress, are getting ready to return to the ruling party.
In this context, the party State leaders see the Prime Minister’s visit as the first positive thing after the Assembly polls. Party national general secretary and State in charge Arun Singh is also expected to arrive in Bengaluru on Friday to prepare for the Prime Minister’s visit.