BJP leaders set the ball rolling for poll planning

Close on the heels of Congress’ meet to discuss its strategy to face the Assembly elections, BJP leaders set aside their differences and sat together on Monday to finalise the dates for a series of meetings at the divisional and State-level to strengthen the organisation.

BJP top brass including Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and party State unit president K S Eshwarappa were present.  Earlier in the day, the trio also held a meeting with top RSS functionaries.

The RSS leaders, while trying to effect a truce between the warring leaders of the party, had recently expressed concern over the fading image of the State BJP due to internal bickerings.
A senior leader said putting the BJP into the poll mode would help in binding the party together. Elections to the State Assembly have to be held in April/May next year.

The meetings are scheduled to commence soon after the conclusion of the current session of the Legislature. To start with, the party will be holding a divisional-level meeting at Belgaum and Bijapur on February 11.

All legislators and ministers will converge in Bangalore for a two-day conclave scheduled to start from February 24. The BJP State Executive is scheduled to be held in Mangalore on March 1 and 2, Eshwarappa said.

Divisional-level meetings of various morchas of the party will be held from the second week of March.  The party will also launch an agitation against the UPA government against its proposal for 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities within OBC reservation, cut in subsidies for fertilisers among others.

‘Not the right forum’
On Monday, a few ministers are learnt to have sought to know who would lead the party during the next elections. However, Gowda put an end to the matter stating the present meeting was not the forum to discuss the issue.

 Yeddyurappa and his supporters, during the last few days, have been once again raking up the leadership issue. It is said that the party on Monday convinced Yeddyurappa to drop his plan for a State-wide tour.

The Congress, on Saturday, at its office-bearers meeting had decided to begin its preparations for the elections from the Assembly segment-wise.