The State BJP has lined up a number of programmes, including agitations on various issues, as a build-up for the first of a series of public rallies of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Karnataka, scheduled for November 16.
The BJP has listed a number of issues which the State government has failed to resolve and the saffron party wants to cash in on them. Problems faced by farmers in getting loans from cooperative institutions, the government’s failure to give compensation to those affected by foot and mouth disease, its inability to fix minimum support price for jowar and maize and non-release of grants to mutts and temples are among the issues the party wants to raise.
The party has decided to conduct booth-level registration campaign on October 30 and 31 for the Modi rally, for which the venue is yet to be finalised.
The party wants to mobilise not less than four lakh to five lakh people for the rally. For such a mammoth rally, there is no venue large enough in the city limits.
Venue
The party is toying with the idea of holding the rally near Dobbespet or at the convention centre in Peenya. In case the party decides to hold the rally in the city, Palace Grounds would be the only choice, sources said.
All those interested in taking part in the rally can register their names by paying Rs 10 each.
Provision is also being made for online registration. Those who register their names will be given a coupon, State BJP president Pralhad Joshi told reporters, after taking part in the party political affairs committee meeting held at the party office on Wednesday.
Joshi did not clarify whether only coupon holders will be allowed for the rally. The State party has decided to invite people to take part in the rally, at the taluk and district headquarters. The State BJP wants to use the Modi rally to shore up its dented image.
The then governments headed by D V Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar had altogether granted about Rs 1,000 crore to various mutts and temples. But Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed the deputy commissioners not to release the money.
Besides, both the governments had allocated about Rs 950 crore for the special development plan and tribal sub-plan. But the chief minister has ordered that the money should not be spent.
“Siddaramaiah claims himself to be a champion of the backward classes. But he has stalled schemes meant for the welfare of backward classes. We will take up this issue in a big way,” Joshi said.
The Siddaramaiah government has refused to reimburse money to several cooperative institutions towards crop loan waiver done by the previous BJP government. As a result, farmers are not getting farm loans. So, the party has decided to hold rallies at all district headquarters on October 28, he added.