JOIN USThe State BJP plans to hold a mammoth political convention on the outskirts of Bangalore during the party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s visit to Karnataka in the third week of October.
The party is now scouting for a suitable place to host the convention, preferably on the outskirts of Bangalore, to avoid traffic jams inside the City. The preliminary plan is that the attendance at the convention should run into lakhs like the ‘karyakartha mahakumbh’ rally in Bhopal addressed by Modi earlier this week.
The first meeting of the newly constituted BJP State office-bearers held in Bangalore on Friday endorsed the party leadership decision that Modi should be invited to the State in the third week of October. The party is of the opinion that the presence of Modi and the rally with an impressive turnout would instil the required inspiration in the party cadres to gear up for the Lok Sabha elections.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, party general secretary C T Ravi said the top leaders will tour the State in teams and complete one round of the exercise by October 15. The party will also launch a drive to enrol one lakh active workers soon, he said.
The meeting also decided to stage a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue on MG Road in Bangalore on September 30, demanding the resignation of Minister of State for Infrastructure Santosh Lad for his alleged role in illegal mining. Party MPs, legislators, former legislators and office-bearers will participate in the protest.
Ravi said the office-bearers did not take up any decision on the re-entry of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa into the party fold. “There is no opposition in the party for the re-entry of Yeddyurappa and the same has been conveyed to the party central leadership. It is up to the party parliamentary board to take a final call,” Ravi said. The State government was “insulting” farmers by giving compensation as meagre as Rs 20 for those who had lost their crop in floods. He demanded that the government immediately release Rs 500 crore for flood and drought relief work, Ravi said.
Earlier in the day, Party National General Secretary in charge of Karnataka T C Gehlot said the State unit should make the best use of the prevailing Modi wave.