Amit Shah's visit likely to galvanise State BJP

BJP National President Amit Shah’s visit to Bengaluru to attend a series of party meetings on Saturday comes at a time when the State unit of the party has been struggling to take the State government head-on.

Shah has been instructing the party State unit top brass to launch an aggressive campaign against the State government, the only major state in the country ruled by the Congress.

The State unit on its part has been trying to galvanise issues like Akravathi Layout land denotification, land-related controversies against four ministers, the controversy regarding an amendment bill to take over mutts if they are found to be “mismanaged” to its political advantage.

However, the perception is that the party has not been able to actually strike a chord among the people and neither has the party’s agitation on these issues been taken to its logical end.

Shah is expected to informally advice the party leaders on taking its campaign against the government forward.

It will be Shah’s second visit to Karnataka after taking over as national president in August last year. Shah will start his day on Saturday by attending the core committee meeting of the party, which will take stock of political situation in the State. Later, he will hold meetings with party MPs and legislators. A review of the membership drive of the party will also be taken up by Shah.

The State unit has been given a target of enrolling 80 lakh members by March 31. He will also flag off Shakti Samvardhana Rath that will travel through out the State to hold membership campaign.

The State top leaders including party State president Pralhad Joshi, Union Cabinet ministers Ananth Kumar, D V Sadananda Gowda, former chief ministers B S Yeddyurappa and Jagadish Shettar will participate in the meetings.

Later in the in the afternoon, Shah will address district office-bearers before leaving for New Delhi the same evening.

On Friday, the party held a series of meeting in preparations for Shah’s visit. The BJP also decked up the City with party flags and buntings at prominent junctions.