Bengaluru: Senior BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders are gathering for a two-day ‘Chintan-Manthan Baithak’ here on Thursday July 14 to strategise for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
The event will serve as the coordination platform for the interaction between the ruling BJP leaders of the state and senior RSS functionaries.
Sources said that major decisions in connection with Cabinet expansion and implementation of aggressive Hindutva in Karnataka would be taken during the crucial meeting. Strategies to win the Assembly elections in Karnataka scheduled next year are also likely to discussed during the meeting.
The details of the meeting have been kept secret, including the venue and the participants. According to sources, state BJP in-charge Arun Singh, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former CMs B.S. Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar, D.V. Sadananada Gowda and a few Cabinet ministers are participating in the event which will begin on Thursday evening.
BJP National General Secretaries B.L. Santhosh and C.T. Ravi, both from Karnataka, are taking part in the meeting.
The leaders are staying overnight at a resort located on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
The ‘baithak’ will also assess the performance of the ruling BJP government, implementation of Hindutva and consolidating the support base among Dalits and backwards and in south Karnataka.
Sources said the BJP high command is not happy with the turn of events after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on International Yoga Day.
A road relaid by BBMP for Modi’s visit collapsed soon after the Prime Minister left, embarrassing the party. The PMO also sought information from the state government on the issue.
Later, the comments made by the Karnataka High Court Justice lambasting the ruling establishment proved to be a great setback for the party, which was looking ahead to go to the people with a clean image. The high court justice repeatedly directed the government not to appoint tainted officers to important posts.
Following the rap by the high court, the state government arrested Bengaluru Urban District Deputy Collector (DC) and senior IPS officer of the rank of the Additional DGP on corruption charges.
The meeting will also discuss the setback to the party with regard to the textbook revision exercise. The revision process had threatened to antagonise all sections of the society against the ruling BJP. Chief Minister Bommai had to agree to all the rectifications and discharge the revision committee.
Opposition Congress high command is said to be making all possible efforts to work a patch up between Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar. If that happens, the BJP will have a formidable competition in the state.
The party is also likely to take a call to utilise the services of Yediyurappa to the optimum level.
