Bengaluru: The state BJP may have set itself an ambitious target of winning 24 plus MP seats of the 28 in Karnataka in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but not much ground work has been done across the state to achieve this goal.
Despite its inability to win enough seats to seize power in the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP leadership remains inactive and has not got into election mode yet with barely five months left for the Lok Sabha polls. No responsibilities have been entrusted to the cadre at the grassroot level to start election work including reconstitution of booth committees.
It may recalled that for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the party has started preparations in 2013 itself. Its outreach programmes, constitution of booth committees and social media campaigns got into full swing a full year ahead of the Lok Sabha elections which has not happened this time
The party’s second rung leaders and cadre are completely clueless about preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, said sources. Meeting and brainstorming sessions are happening only at the state headquarters but no elections related work has begun at the district and taluk level.
“I have not been invited for any assignment regarding election preparedness nor has the party assigned any work to me. We started work for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls one year in advance, now there is no such enthusiasm seen among party workers”, explained ad former corporator of BBMP.
BJP general secretary and Legislative Council member N. Ravikumar admitted that poll related work had not yet started at the grassroot level and cited the inability to gain power after the Assembly elections, which has shocked the party leadership and even karyakartas. However, the BJP will kickstart its election work from the first week of January, he said adding that booth committees will be reconstituted by adding new members and by removing ineffective members.
Bengaluru Urban BJP President P.N. Sadashiva said the party has been conducting Assembly seat level meetings in Bengaluru. After the first week of January, poll related work will get into full swing and reconstitution of booth committees will be taken up in the next month, Mr. Sadashiva added.
