Defectors help win tough seats: Muralidhar Rao

BENGALURU: The summer heat is already scorching Karnataka and the political parties are set to send the temperatures soaring. As the main players are preparing to unleash their fire power, BJP National General Secretary in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka, Muralidhar Rao, in conversation with The New Indian Express, spoke about the plans to ramp up intensity of the campaign, mechanism to tackle the dissidence that has erupted following the release of first list of candidates and the release of second list of candidates.

Excerpts.

The rebellion in many places after the release of your first list of candidates is already posing problems for you..
When the popularity of a party is growing, it is natural to have too many (ticket) aspirants. When the aspirations are not fulfilled, some of them express it. But BJP are better at managing this (disappointment) than other parties. Actually, the backlash is less severe than we had expected.

Will it not affect the prospects of your candidates as party workers are miffed by preference given to outsiders?
Even our party workers know what the situation is. There are about 50 to 60 constituencies where BJP has been weak traditionally. In a few of these constituencies, people who have come from other parties are being fielded for their winnability. The party will never sacrifice the interest of its committed workers and leaders.

A few of the campaign programmes BJP launched after Yeddyurappa’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ lost steam after the launch.
I do not agree. The second phase of ‘Save Bengaluru’ campaign was meant to be a ward-level, people-connect programme unlike the first, which had padayatras. for instance, the second phase of the campaign has been completed in 165 wards of Bengaluru. It involves interaction with smaller groups of locals, which might not have drawn media’s attention.

PM Modi has not come to campaign since February 27 rally in Davangere. Is there a change in strategy?
You will have scorching summer ahead. Don’t underestimate Modi. The announcement of election schedule was delayed by a week or 10 days. As a result Modi’s programme schedule has also been altered.
There will be many programmes involving Modi. Every region and most of the districts will be covered. Having Modi is our great advantage. However, we also have strong local leaders. The campaign would be a balanced one with national and state leaders attacking Congress.

When will he start his next phase of campaigning? Will he address multiple rallies in a day, as he did in Gujarat?
I cannot go into the
specifics as the campaign schedule is yet to be finalised. You
will see Modi blitzkrieg in the last two weeks of 10 days of
campaigning, starting from
last week of this month.
Modi will go full blast in the
final stretch of the campaign.

There is a buzz that MP Sriramulu is to be fielded from two seats...
We have declared him as our candidate from Molakalmuru. His importance does not need to be measured by the number of seats from which he contests. He will be our star campaigner. He will campaign all over the state.

BJP is said to be trying to get two big cricket icons of Karnataka into its fold… Are the talks on?
I cannot comment on issues related to strategy as it is not in the interest of either the party or the individuals. I can just say that many stars from various domains will join the party during the run up to the polls.

When will you announce your second list of candidates?
It is likely to happen this weekend.