BJP ahead in GP poll preparations

Leaders of the ruling party have already completed one round of campaigning for the Grama Panchayat elections to be held in two phases - on May 8 and 12.  Although the elections are non-party affairs with candidates having no party symbols, political parties field the candidates, finance them and virtually manage their campaign.

BJP State unit president K S Eshwarappa said the party began the preparations two months ago. Eswarappa, Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, and Ananth Kumar, MP have completed one round of tour in 26 districts. A team of five members has been constituted for each panchayat.

The party officially launched the campaign in Davangere by launched Vijayasankalpa yatra. Only Hassan, Mandya, Bijapur and Bagalkot are left to be covered.  The State BJP chief said the meetings of the legislature party as well as office-bearers will be held in Bangalore on April 15 to discuss the preparations for the poll.

The Congress preparations have been restricted to meetings at the Congress Bhavan. Asked whether the debacle in the BBMP elecitons has affected the morale of the party, Rathod said the results have defied the party’s logic. But the Congress has to gear up for the polls as it would be prelude to the taluk and zill panchayat elections which are due this year.

After facing a rout in the recent BBMP polls, the JD(S) wants to prove that it is still a force to reckon with in rural Karnataka. Party State President H D Kumaraswamy has already had informal discussions with district unit presidents. He has also convened a meeting of its leaders on April 22 at Palace grounds in Bangalore to chalk out the strategy for the election.

According to the party sources, the JD(S) has decided to make the power crisis in the State as its main elections issue. “Kaggathilalli Karnataka” (Karnataka in darkness) will be its slogan. The aim of the party will be to educate the rural mass about the power situation and, more importantly, how the BJP Government is responsible for the erratic power supply. The party has already released “black paper” on worsening power situation.