Post North East victory, BJP now on ‘Mission 150’

BENGALURU: BJP’s stunning performance in the North Eastern states, especially in Tripura and Nagaland, is likely to boost the party’s morale ahead of the Karnataka assembly polls, scheduled to be held in early May.

After Gujarat elections, the party’s central leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party president Amit Shah have been focusing on Karnataka, the only big state ruled by the Congress. The party has identified a six-bed room house for Shah that will effectively function as the party’s election headquarters.

After the announcement of the NE poll results, Shah said that the results will have an impact on Karnataka elections. He also declared that Karnataka is their next destination and the party is confident of returning to power.

In Bengaluru, addressing the BJP workers during the ‘Save Bengaluru’ campaign, the party’s chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa said that the party was confident of reaching its target of winning 150 (out of 224) seats in the state.

Many other senior BJP leaders, including former CM and opposition leader in the state assembly Jagadish Shettar too said that Saturday’s results would help the BJP’s campaign in Karnataka. Enthused by the support, the party got from the people of the NE states, the BJP central leadership is expected to pursue its aggressive campaign against Siddaramaiah government and the Congress party.

In last two months, Modi and Shah have visited the states several times and have targeted Siddaramaiah by terming his administration as  “10 per cent commission” government. However, the Congress has rubbished the charge.

The Congress party, which is confident of returning to power, countered the claims and said that the results in the North Eastern states have nothing to do with the state elections. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the results will not have any impact on Karnataka elections. “In some places, BJP has won and in some the Congress has done well. Though there is some setback for Congress in Tripura, there is nothing for the BJP to claim it as a big achievement,” said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Committee (KPCC) President G Parameshwara.

“ There is no relation between assembly elections in North Eastern states and Karnataka,” he added.Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the party has won many by-elections, including those in Rajasthan and is confident of winning elections in Karnataka.

Rahul to campaign from March 20
Congress President Rahul Gandhi will visit Karnataka for election campaigning from March 20. State Congress President Parameshwara said Rahul will visit Mysuru and other places in the Old Mysore region from March 20, 21 and from March 24 and 25. Details of his visit are yet to be finalised, he added. He had recently visited Mumbai-Karnataka region for campaigning.