Karnataka Poll: BJP aims to take fight into Siddaramaiah’s turf

Spread the love

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, March 1: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is emerging as the principal roadblock to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bid to retain power in the poll bound state. The BJP chief JP Nadda on Wednesday mounted on a Rath to take the Vijay Sankalp Yatra into the bastion of Siddaramaiah in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills in the southernmost district of Chamarajanagara of the state.

Siddaramaiah is seen to be Congress’ best other backward caste bet in Karnataka. Even while he celebrated 75^th birth anniversary last year for which former president of Congress Rahul Gandhi had specially flown in to attend the ceremony, Siddaramaiah is emerging as the principal campaigner of the Opposition party. Nadda made it clear by taking the yatra in the bastion of Siddaramaiah that the BJP will be working overtime to neutralize the impact of the former chief minister in the Assembly elections.

The BJP had taken out the Vijay Sankalp Yatra about three months ago. The incumbent Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai along with his predecessor BS Yediyurappa had teamed up for one part of the yatra during which they had taken feedback of the people on the performance of the government in the state. Three other yatras were simultaneously taken out by senior leaders, including the state unit chief of the party Nalin Kumar Kateel, national general secretary Arun Singh and others.

“The yatra is being continued in a phased manner so that it covers almost all the districts and regions of Karnataka. Now, the yatra is with Raths in different parts headed by many important leaders of the BJP. Today Nadda inaugurated the yatra at the MM Hills in the Chamarajnagar district, which is considered as a stronghold of Congress and Siddaramiah. This is old Mysuru area where the BJP is putting its best efforts to win more seats in the Assembly elections,” said a senior BJP leader on phone from Bengaluru.

Four such Rath Yatras are being held in different parts, which will cover about 8000 kms. “Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh will participate in Nandgad near Belagavi on Thursday. Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah will participate in Basavakalyan, Bidar district leg of the yatra on Friday. All the four Raths will culminate in Davanagere in Central Karnataka on March 25. Rallies, public meetings and roadshows are the main events during the course of the four Rath Yatras,” added the BJP functionary.