Differences among leaders led to BJP's defeat: Shettar

The State BJP, which faced a drubbing in the Assembly polls, will hold a meeting of its legislature party on May 14 and a “brainstorming” session along with its defeated candidates the next day.

 Addressing a press conference in Bangalore, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and BJP State president Pralhad Joshi admitted that confusion and differences of opinion among its leaders had cost the party dear in the polls. At the same time, he said the party had initiated several developmental and pro-people programmes during its five-year tenure. “I feel our developmental programmes were overshadowed by the disinformation campaign carried out against the party by the Opposition,” he said.

Shettar said the party accepted the verdict of the people and would work as a constructive and responsible Opposition. He said the victory of the Congress was not a positive opinion of the people, but the party managed to gain majority because of to the negative votes against the BJP.

Shettar, who was projected by his party as its chief ministerial candidate, is likely to be appointed the BJP Legislature Party leader on May 14.

Joshi said the party would now work towards rebuilding its base. It would also analyse the Assembly results threadbare on May 15. District presidents of the party and all the defeated candidates in the Assembly polls will participate in the meeting, he said.

To a query on whether Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s magic had failed to mobilise votes, Joshi said, “Several national leaders campaigned for the party. We cannot blame any one person.”