BJP national president Amit Shah, who is holding a series of brainstorming sessions on Bengaluru city outskirts with his party State unit on Thursday on preparations for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, is expected to do some “hard talking” with State leaders.
The party national leadership is said to be of the view that the State team has lagged in poll preparations, with its focus entirely on toppling the coalition government.
“It is not that the central leadership was against attempts to topple the government. But they are particularly upset because the organisational activities on preparations for Lok Sabha polls were not given the focus they needed,” sources in the BJP said.
Finally, the BJP could neither form its government nor focus on poll preparations, a senior leader observed.
Audio clip controversy
The BJP central leadership was embarrassed particularly over the controversial audio clip episode, which showed its State leaders allegedly trying to bribe the ruling combine leaders to switch loyalties. The central leadership has reportedly asked them to stop efforts to woo rival MLAs for now.
Many senior leaders in the BJP expect Mr. Shah to take up the first review of the party’s poll preparations at the Thursday sessions. As he had provided a broad road map for all State units at the party’s national council meeting held in mid-January, he would review the progress on meeting the targets set by the central unit, a senior leader said.
Main focus
Karnataka has been the main focus for the BJP in southern region, regarded as the party’s gateway to the south. But winning substantial number of LS seats from Karnataka appears to have become a challenge for the saffron party as the ruling coalition is putting up a stiff resistance.
In this context, the BJP central leadership is particular that its State unit make an all-out effort to win a majority of seats in the State, and Mr. Shah’s visit is aimed at activating the party cadre and fast-tracking poll preparations.
Mr. Shah, who is arriving in the State on Thursday afternoon, will be addressing leaders of polling booth clusters in Avati village of Devanahalli before holding separate meetings with legislators and MPs, office-bearers, besides presiding over a meeting of the State core committee.