Karnataka Assembly elections: BJP to adopt Gujarat strategy

NEW DELHI: For the ensuing Karnataka Assembly elections, the BJP is looking forward to adopting the same strategy it used during the Gujarat elections — of fielding leaders from across the states in the campaign.

BJP sources informed ANI that the party has given charge of the Karnataka election campaign to 50-60 leaders from different states, including the Union and state Ministers, MPs and MLAs.

Further, according to the sources, a meeting took place between BJP General Secretary (Organisation), BL Santosh, and state election in-charge and Union minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. In the meeting, the party leaders were told to ensure the party’s victory in the state.

Some of the prominent names at the meeting were Union Minister of State Pankaj Chaudhary, MP Nishikant Dubey, Ramesh Bidhuri, Sanjay Bhatia, Bihar MLA Sanjeev Chaurasia, UP MLA Satish Dwivedi, and Andhra Pradesh leader P Sudhakar Reddy, who has the experience of managing many elections, the source said.

The party has identified 115 out of 224 strong assembly constituencies to focus on. Every leader has been given the responsibility of 2-3 seats and have been asked to increase party’s chances on the difficult seats.

During the Gujarat Assembly polls, which saw the ruling BJP storm back to power riding a huge mandate, the saffron party had assigned key electoral responsibilties to leaders from different elections, and drew the desired dividends.

Karnataka is the only southern state where the BJP is in power.

The party also effected a change of guard in the state, installing Basavraj Bommai as chief minister in place of veteran Ligayat stalwart BS Yediyurappa. The BJP, according to sources, has since been fretting over the decision backfiring on the ruling party in the ensuing state elections.

The polling, on May 10, will be held for 224 Assembly seats in the state. In the 2018 elections, BJP won 121 seats while the Congress and the JDS, which fought the polls in coalition, bagged 70 and 30 seats respectively.

The Election Commission on March 29 announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly elections. The polling would take place in a single phase on May 10, and the counting of votes will be done on May 13, the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said in a press conference.