JOIN USBJP to retort with 2 rallies
BJP insiders on Monday admitted the 16-day long padayatra to Bellary that culminated in a huge rally on Monday did result in providing the Congress sufficient political leverage.
A meeting of party leaders has been convened soon after Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s return from New Delhi to Bangalore to assess the fallout and plan the future step of action, party sources said.
However, the under-current in the BJP is that onus of countering the after-effect of Congress’ padayatra and rally should be handled by the Bellary ministers.
“It is they who started the confrontation with the Congress by challenging and daring them to enter Bellary. The party will politically support them, but has left the onus of organising the counter-convention at Bellary to them,” a senior party leader said. As a political counter-ploy, the saffron party has already decided to rope in senior leader L K Advani to attend the Mysore convention.
Bigger rally
Speaking to reporters in Bellary soon after the Congress show of strength, Health Minister B Sriramulu said the BJP’s Mysore and Bellary conventions will be bigger than the Congress rally. He charged that the Congress leaders had made a fool of themselves by casting apprehension on the law and order situation in Bellary.
“The rally went on peacefully. There was no untoward incident. The Congress has insulted the people of Bellary by casting aspersion on their character,” he said.
‘Joker’
Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy made personal attacks on each and every Congress leader who spoke at the rally.
He called Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah a “joker,” Anil Lad and Santosh Lad “illegal miners,” senior Congress leader M P Prakash, as a “person lying even on his death bed” and the entire padayatra “free entertainment to the people of the state.”
Reddy also demanded that the Congress disclose who financed the 16-day padayatra.
MLA Somashekar Reddy said a homa will be conducted at Bellary on Tuesday to “ward off the evil” brought in by the Congress.