Bengaluru: An introspection meeting convened by the state BJP here on Sunday attributed the loss in the recent Nanjangud and Gundlupet bypolls to ‘gross misuse of the government machinery and money power by the ruling Congress.’
The BJP top brass also felt an internal understanding between the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), which did not contest the bypolls, affected their prospects in both constituencies.
The meeting, chaired by state BJP President B.S. Yeddyurappa, was attended by Union minister H.N. Ananth Kumar, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje and defeated candidates V Srinivasprasad and Niranjan Kumar.
Leaders of opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Council, Jagadish Shettar and K.S. Eshwarappa had informed senior leaders about their inability to attend the meeting due to prior commitments, said sources adding that party general secretary C.T. Ravi was in Chennai on an assignment.
Sources told Deccan Chronicle that the meeting went off well with each leader explaining the reasons for the defeat in Nanjangud and Gundlupet.
Nearly two hours was dedicated to the discussion on Gundlupet and around 30 minutes to Nanjangud.
Some leaders pointed out areas where they had failed and urged party bosses to address them before the next election in 2018.
Others asserted that the deployment of over 20 ministers in both constituencies came in handy for the ruling party to ‘purchase’ votes. Briefing reporters after the meeting, BJP state general secretary Arvind Limbavali said the results came as a surprise to them. The meeting resolved to work towards achieving the 150 seat mark in the 2018 Assembly elections and install a BJP government led by Mr Yeddyurappa.
For the first time, 60 party workers who worked in villages in both constituencies were specially invited to obtain a ground zero report on the party debacle. They claimed that the Congress spent money to woo voters ‘with full police protection.’ Mr Limbavali said the meeting thanked all party workers for working day and night that helped the BJP increase its voting percentage.
Party workers were asked to get over the bypoll defeat and prepare for the ‘final match’ to be held in 2018 when 224 seats would be up for grabs.
