MP Shobha Karandlaje and other BJP leaders perfom bhoomi pooja at Palace Grounds for the success of its February 4 rally in Bengaluru | EXPRESS
BENGALURU: After their bitter experience of empty chairs greeting BJP president Amit Shah during the rally to launch the Parivartana Yatra in Bengaluru on November 2, the party leaders are not taking any chances with the February 4 rally, which will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The party leaders are making elaborate arrangements to ensure presence of a good number of people at Palace Grounds in the city. The party leaders also seem to be seeking divine blessings to ensure the rally’s success. On Friday, they attended a Homa and bhoomi pooja at the Palace Grounds, prior to a meeting to review the rally preparations.
According to BJP leaders, over one lakh party workers from different parts of the state are expected to attend the mega rally, which will mark the commencement of Modi’s election campaign in the state ahead of Assembly polls.However, the impact of the bandh called by farmers looms large on the rally. Farmers associations demanding implementation of the Kalasa Banduri project in North Karnataka have called for Bengaluru Bandh on February 4 urging the Center’s intervention to solve the Mahadayi inter-state river water sharing dispute. Pro-Kannada outfits have extended their support to the bandh call.
BJP state unit president B S Yeddyurappa, former DyCM R Ashoka and other party leaders have criticized the state government for trying to stop people from attending the BJP’s rally by extending tacit support to organizations that have called the bandh. On Thursday, while addressing the party’s mega rally in Mysuru, BJP president Amit Shah too had accused the Siddaramaiah government of using undemocratic means to prevent people from attending BJP rallies, including February 4th rally in Bengaluru.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has dismissed the BJP’s allegations and said the Congress or the government has nothing to do with the bandh call. “We have full faith in the democratic system and we do not stoop to such a level to obstruct the PM Modi’s rally. We should respect political differences, but not false statements,’’ Siddaramaiah added.
