Massive response to Jana Sankalpa Yatre: Bommai

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said that the ruling BJP was getting “huge support” during its Jana Sankalpa tours and asserted that the saffron party would “undoubtedly” win 150 seats in the Assembly polls early next year.

“There’s huge support... more than expected. People are showing their faith in the BJP in a big way. This has enthused party workers,” Bommai said.

The BJP has formed three teams to drum up support for the party in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly elections.

One team, headed by Bommai and party veteran B S Yediyurappa, has already covered six assembly segments in the Kalyana Karnataka region. “Undoubtedly, the Jana Sankalpa Yatre will become the Vijaya Sankalpa Yatre. Definitely, in 2023, we will win 150 seats,” Bommai said.

Another team, led by BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, has covered 13 assembly seats in the Dharwad and Belagavi divisions. A team, under BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, who oversees the party’s affairs in the state, has finished touring three seats.

The Bommai-BSY team will cover 51 seats whereas Kateel will touch 52, BJP chief spokesperson M G Mahesh said. “Kateel and Singh are focusing on organisational matters during their tours. The CM and Yediyurappa will focus on political aspects,” he said.

Mahesh said the BJP is getting “an excellent response” from citizens, especially beneficiaries of schemes rolled out by the Union and state governments.

“We asked them if they had to pay money to get benefits. They said there was no such demand for bribes. People themselves are reacting to allegations being made by the Congress,” he said.

The BJP has planned six rallies concentrating on various social groups. An OBC convention is scheduled at Kalaburagi on October 30. At Mysuru on November 6, the party will hold an SC convention. “We expect lakhs of people to attend these rallies. We’ll get central leaders to participate,” Mahesh said.

Rallies for youth (Shivamogga), women (Bengaluru), farmers (Hubballi) and STs (Ballari) will be held, for which dates will be finalised, according to Mahesh.