All political parties today are like family, says JP Nadda

CHENNAI: Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda is on a three-day visit to the poll-bound Karnataka from Sunday. According to Nadda's schedule, he will be in Karnataka from February 19 to 21.

The programme of the party's chief includes a public meeting in Udupi and Belur.

Nadda will also visit Mangaluru for a programme and participate in a bike rally in Chikkamangaluru.

Nadda while addressing the gathering and said "Udupi has a special place in the history of the BJP. For the first time in 1968, the BJP was elected in the Udupi Corporation won."

He added: "All political parties today are family parties. Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), Mamata Banerjee, Y.S.R. Congress, TRS, Bharat Rashtriya Samithi and AIADMK.”

Nadda continued to speak and said that Karnataka is going to become one of the 2nd largest economic state in India due to the Rs 33 thousand crore projects given by Prime Minister Modi in June 2022.

During the visit, Nadda will also visit the Sringeri Mutt and spend a night there. One of the holiest and most important Hindu pilgrim centres, Sringeri was one of the four Peethas (centres) established by Adi Shankaracharya.

The BJP chief's visit comes at a time when Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy has alleged Union Minister Pralhad Joshi for belonging to the Brahmin community which had split the Sringeri Mutt. Another highlight of the visit of the BJP's national president is the district workers' sammelan in Hassan.

Nadda will also attend a meeting of the party's top brass in the state to assess the preparation for the upcoming Assembly elections. It is pertinent to mention that Karnataka has been a BJP bastion for a long time and is their single big foray into southern India.

Despite lacking a majority in the last assembly polls after twists and turns, former Chief Minister BS Yeddiyurappa caused the deflection of many MLAs from the JDS and Congress which resulted in the falling of the HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in the state in July 2022.

Later, the party also replaced Yediyurappa with Basavaraj Bommai. The Karnataka elections are likely to be held in April-May 2023.