Bengaluru: After the not so grand start to the much hyped 75-day Parivarthana Yatra of the BJP on Thursday, which has landed senior leaders in an embarrassing situation, the blame game has started in the party with fingers being pointed at Bengaluru strongman and former Deputy CM R. Ashok.
In fact, BJP national president Amit Shah who inaugurated the yatra, had expressed his displeasure on the dais itself asking Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, why the state leadership had failed to rope in party workers for the event. Those close to the Sangh Parivar blamed Mr Ashok saying BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa had given him the full responsibility of making the rally a success but lack of a ground level strategy and over-confidence of the party’s city leaders led to a poor turnout.
A senior functionary of the party told Deccan Chronicle that it is not a big task to bring the party’s booth committee members from 27,000 booths in 17 districts in South Karnataka for the rally. But senior leaders restricted their meetings and preparations to the BJP state office at Malleswaram and did not make any effort to reach the Mandal, Hobli and ward level.
Lack of communication with party workers at the booth level also led to the disappointing start to the yatra. The workers were supposed to arrive for the rally on bikes and were given Rs 500 for petrol per bike and also assured lunch. But the majority of workers refused to undertake the bike ride from faraway places especially from Shivamogga, Chamarajanagar, Mangaluru, Davanagere, Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts, a functionary said.
Empty chairs at the launch of the yatra in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Only diehard supporters of Ashok and MLA Muniraju were given the responsibility of bringing the party workers to Bengaluru. "In fact, Mr Ashok did not hold a single meeting with the BJP’s corporators, he only gave oral instructions to them to bring the workers on bikes. The party was confident of roping in at least one lakh workers and therefore arranged nearly one lakh chairs. But the turnout did not cross 30,000,” said a second rung leader. The growing clout of Udupi-Chikamagaluru MP, Shobha Karandlaje too has irked senior leaders in the party. Ms Karandlaje has taken over the responsibility of organizing the yatra, which has irked party cadre particularly those associated with party national joint secretary Santhosh who had a spat earlier with Mr Yeddyurappa. Many senior leaders are upset with Yeddyurappa's decision to give Ms Karandlaje such a huge responsibility. However, sources close to Yeddyurappa told this newspaper that Shobha is just one of the several leaders assigned responsibility of the yatra.
Good response to Tumakuru march
State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa drew a good response in Tumakuru district with scores of party workers attending his rallies a day after a poor turnout during the inauguration of Parivarthana Yatra by party president Amit Shah left the top-brass of the principal Opposition party red-faced in Bengaluru.
On Thursday evening, the ‘Parivarthana Ratha’ (vehicle) entered Kunigal taluk, part of the Assembly constituency represented by Janata Dal (Secular) legislator D Nagarajaiah.
More than 5,000 people turned up at a public meeting addressed by the former chief minister, according to sources in the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Sources said that the crowd swelled as Mr Yeddyurappa addressed a series of public meetings in Tumakuru district on Friday much to the delight of the Lingayat strongman and other leaders.
In his address, Mr Yeddyurappa attacked the state government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for their apathy towards problems of farmers.
He charged that the Chief Minister was arrogant and lacked patience to listen to the woes of farming community.
Member of Parliament and general secretary Shobha Karandlaje charged that the state government was trying to place hurdles and thus restrict the Parivarthana Ratha to certain pockets of the state.
The local administration had declined permission for the leaders to address a rally in Kodagu, forcing them to shift the venue to Mangaluru, she added.
