BJP hopes PM Modi will help party hit 100

BENGALURU: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his blitzkrieg on the penultimate day of campaigning in Karnataka, BJP cadres seem to be gung-ho about crossing the 100-seat mark, hoping that the Modi magic will swing the results in at least 10-15 seats.

According to party sources, the Modi rallies have had a sizeable impact, primarily in the coastal and Mumbai-Karnataka districts. “If we’re to assess the impact of the Modi rallies in the past week, the swing will be maximum in these two regions. Bidar is also likely to see an impact as he’ll be signing off there,” said a party worker.

Two constituencies which could majorly benefit are Udupi and Jamkhandi. Party cadres say a Jamkhandi win will be only due to the PM’s rally in Bagalkot district. The other impactful rally was in Udupi, notwithstanding the strong fight being put up in the consituency by fisheries minister Pramod Madhwaraj (Congress). Despite Modi’s statement praising JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda receiving negative publicity, the cadres say they’re hoping for a surge in the party’s prospects citing the sheer number of unsolicited participants at the rally.

The Modi rally in Chikkodi is believed to have boosted the chances of candidate Anna Saheb Jolle, the husband of incumbent Nippani MLA Shashikala Jolle.

On the other hand, despite two rallies by Modi in a week in Bengaluru, the party is on a sticky wicket, party sources admit. In Ballari, the party expects tiff competition from Congress despite their leader B Sreeramulu’s uncle and one of the three Reddy brothers being fielded from the district.