State BJP all set to host party national executive

 The State BJP has made elaborate arrangements for two-day national executive committee meeting of the party scheduled for April 3 and 4 in Bengaluru in which top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national president Amit Shah will take part.

Almost the entire Bengaluru is planned to be draped in saffron colour for the meet. The BJP flags, banners and cutouts of prominent leaders will be put up across most parts of the City, especially north Bengaluru. The meeting is scheduled to be held at Lalit Ashok Hotel. On April 2, the national office bearers’ meeting will be held. This apart, Modi is scheduled to take part in a public rally scheduled for April 3 at the National College Grounds in Basavanagudi.

Modi is scheduled to arrive at HAL airport on April 2 evening and he will be in Bengaluru till April 4. Majority of other dignitaries are scheduled to arrive at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Amit Shah will arrive a day in advance on April 1 to oversee the arrangements. Two separate teams led by Bengaluru City MLAs have been formed to welcome dignitaries on their arrival at the airport. Other party leaders will also be present to welcome the prime minister.

A team led by C V Ramanagar MLA S Raghu will receive Modi. “We are planning to welcome our leader with Mysuru peta, garland and a shawl. Close to 4,000 party workers will gather at the airport. The workers will wear saffron-colour T-shirts, Raghu said.

Similar arrangements will be made at the KIA to welcome other dignitaries. As many as 306 delegates will take part in the national executive meet. Majority of them are scheduled to stay either at the Lalith Ashok and the Le Meridien hotels. State unit of the party has formed 33 different teams for making arrangements to the meet, BJP State spokesperson C Manjula said.

She said the meet will deliberate on economic and political agendas, including the party organisation. But the party has not finalised specific agendas to be discussed. Amit Shah is scheduled to deliver the inaugural address, while Modi is scheduled to make the valedictory speech. It will be the fourth time Karnataka is hosting the BJP national executive, she added.

PM prefers regular food

Modi’s office has informed the organisers of BJP national executive that he will have regular food that will be served to other delegates and has not ordered any specific food to be specially prepared for him during his stay in Bengaluru.

Malavika Avinash, one of the State BJP spokespersons, said the organisers had written to the prime minister seeking his choice of food. But his office has said the prime minister will have regular food, she added.

The organisers are planning to serve wide array of delicacies of Karnataka to the delegates. Ragi rotti, ragi ball, jolad rotti, akki rotti, vangibath, variety of rasam, payasa and vada, Mysuru bonda, kosambari, idli, dosa, neer dosa and uppittu. “Most the delegates are from outside the State. They may not have tasted these delicacies. Hence, we are planning to serve them,” she said.

However, the delegates will also have other option of north Indian, Tamil Nadu and Kerala style food at the venue. Only vegetarian food will be served, she added.