Amit Shah to Karnataka BJP cadre: Party not NGO, play role of Opposition
BENGALURU: BJP president Amit Shah handed out an unambiguous message to party leaders and cadre during his three-day visit to Karnataka: Take the Congress government head-on, in the run up to next year's elections to the Legislative Assembly as a conventional campaign strategy will not help the party win the polls.
A senior leader, who attended several meetings chaired by Mr Shah, quoted the party president as saying that elections are won through perception, and perception should be crafted with the help of different campaigns. The leader suggested aggressive tactics, in particular by the youth wing, to highlight the fact that most benefits had not reached voters. Besides, he reminded leaders that the party was not an NGO to provide facilities to people but must play the role of an opposition party by highlighting the fact that the state government failed to provide all amenities to voters.
The leader told DC that Mr Shah set a target for all MLAs and MPs. "Besides your seat, you have to win at least one seat adjacent to it. If you cannot promise me to do so, then you are not worthy of getting the party ticket," he reportedly said at one meeting while setting higher targets for MPs who were told to win twice the number of Assembly seats the party secured in last Assembly elections. And MPs and MLAs were told that selection of candidates was not their job. The leader said Mr Shah arrived here after a thorough analysis of the situation.
“He knows everything, and during many meetings, he dropped hints that the system in Karnataka was not up-to-the-mark. During these three days he has attempted two things: One, to repair the system to some extent. Two, he sought information on how to win the polls despite lacunae in system,” the leader added. n P6
Street war coming, BJP to up ante against Siddu govt
A vituperative attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government on Monday not only gave an indication of BJP president Amit Shah's show of aggression in the run up to the Assembly polls but also prompted leaders of the state unit into announcing a long overdue, week-long protest against the state government and energy minister D K Shivakumar in the aftermath of IT raids on his residence.
Mr Amit Shah charged that the state government was the most corrupt dispensation, since independence adding Central funds, which were pocketed by ministers, showed up during IT raids.
Mr Shah charged that the state government had raked up issues concerning language, separate flag, and religion tag for Lingayats merely to divert the attention of people, “Why are these issues coming up before polls? He (Mr Siddaramaiah) is nervous. He is raking up these issue. Once the ballot boxes are sealed these issues would subside," he said.
