State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa on Monday said the party chief Amit Shah will select the BJP candidates for the 2018 Assembly elections in Karnataka after collecting public opinion through surveys.

Yeddyurappa was speaking at a programme organised by the Shivamogga district unit of the BJP to welcome former minister Kumar Bangarappa, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP recently.

“Our role in selecting candidates for the Assembly polls is minimal as our national president Amit Shah will conduct two surveys in all the constituencies to collect opinion of people.” Later, Shah will take a final call on the candidates based on the public opinion. This method was followed in Uttar Pradesh where the party registered a remarkable victory. So, the party national leaders have decided to follow the same method in the state too, Yeddyurappa added.

The former chief minister asked the party workers to welcome leaders from other parties who are keen to join the BJP without any second thought and get themselves involved in activities to strengthen the party at the grass-root level. He also made it clear that positions would be given to such leaders based on people’s opinion.