BJP teams to study electoral prospects

 The State BJP has formed five teams to assess the mood of the people and gauge its electoral prospects across the State.

The tour programme comes a week after B S Yeddyurappa formally launched the Karnataka Janata Party at Haveri. As many as 14 BJP legislators had shared dais with Yeddyurappa at the convention prompting the saffron party to hold these tours to strengthen its party cadre. However, of the 14 MLAs at least four are interested in remaining in the BJP, it is said.

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar himself has stated that some MLAs were forced to attend the KJP convention.

The five teams are headed by Shettar, BJP State President K S Eshwarappa, Party National General Secretary H N Ananth Kumar, former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda and Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka. All the 30 districts in the State will be covered by the five teams and the assessment will be completed by December 30, according to a statement issued by the BJP.

The leaders will meet party workers, core committee members in each district and also hold public meetings. KJP President B S Yeddyurappa is planning his own state-wide tour from Basavakalyana in Bidar on December 24.