BSY on image makeover trip to Delhi next week

The chief minister, who will be accompanied by a host of his ministerial colleagues, will arrive here on Monday and is scheduled to address the national press on Tuesday or Wednesday at a star hotel to highlight his government’s achievements in the last three years. As a prelude to his tour, his trusted colleague, Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje will arrive ahead for preparatory works.

The chief minister’s office has already booked a banquet hall in a luxury hotel and instructed his media managers to invite scribes from all top media houses. “Strict instructions from the chief minister’s office came asking us to ensure that a minimum 150 journalists should be present at the press conferences”, sources in the government told Deccan Herald.

As per the itinerary, Chief Secretary S V Ranganath will make a powerpoint presentation about the achievements made by the BJP government, followed by questions and answers by the chief minister.

Some of the issues to be listed out will be achievements made in implementation of JNNURM, bagging the national award in growing coarse cereals and signing many MOUs to woo industries to the State. Other new schemes like distributing bicycles to girl students and health scheme are likely to a find place in the presentation.

However, Yeddyurappa’s media managers are preparing suitable replies to embarrassing questions about his latest controversies such as the ‘truth test’ in Dharmasthala Temple and allotment of sites to his kin in Mysore. They also expect queries on the farmers’ protest against land acquisition to steel major Posco or dharna by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy against the CM.

The media interaction is being held at the behest of the party top brass as the latter are desperately trying to boost the image of South India’s first saffron government, which was sullied due to a series of scandals. As the party believes that there is no alternative to Yeddyurappa to steer the BJP government in Karnataka, they are now on a face-saving exercise by enhance his image, sources in the party said.