BJP will make Karnataka Congress-free, says Shah

BJP National President Amit Shah on Saturday hit out at the State government terming it corrupt and non-performing and said the BJP will strive to make the State “Congress-free.”

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru after attending the core-committee meeting of the State BJP, Shah said the State government had proved to be an abysmal failure in matters of governance and law and order. He alleged that the government had failed to represent the cause of the people and was indulging in sectarian populism.

Shah rubbished Congress’ charge that he was planning to destabilise the State government, but added that the people of the State will join hands with the BJP to ensure a Congress-free Karnataka.

He charged that the economy had crippled under the rule of the Congress government and the State’s growth rate which was more than 10 per cent had come down to five per cent. Shah said the government’s move to withdraw the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Protection Bill 2012 which was awaiting president’s assent during the recent winter session of legislature proved the Congress’ sectarian agenda. The move to bring amendment to the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments legislature was another instance, he said.

It is learnt that Shah at the core-committee meeting attended by the State’s top brass including Pralhad Joshi, Ananth Kumar, D V Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar, B S Yeddyurappa, K S Eshwarappa among others urged the party to go aggressive against the State government by launching back-to-back campaigns.

One crore members

At a meeting with party legislators and MPs later in the day, Shah urged them to work on a day-to-day basis for the next three months to ensure that the party meets its target of enrolling one crore members in the State by March 31. At the district presidents’ meeting, it is said that Shah sought the reasons for the lack of a brisk membership drive, after having sought the exact position of the membership in each of the 30 districts of the State. The party has enrolled 14 lakh members so far.

Party sources said Shah even indicated that party functionaries who were found not putting sufficient efforts in enrolment drive would not be given any position in the party. Party members claimed that there were several technical reasons for the slow membership drive like the missed call facility to register people.

Not everyone from the same household can give a missed call, as some of them may not have a mobile phone, an MLC pointed out.

However, Shah is said to have told the functionaries to go and sweat it out during the next three months. “Sitting at home will not help,” he said.

Shah is also understood to have told the meeting that the BJP should come back to power in the next assembly polls in the State. “Election may come in three years or next year. You have to be ready,” Shah said.
DH News Service