Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah was reportedly upset with party’s State leaders on his recent visit to the city for not being up to the mark on tasks assigned to them to strengthen the party organisation in the constituencies.
During his first poll strategy visit to the State in August 2017, Mr. Shah had assigned an additional Assembly constituency to each MLA, apart from their own, for galvanising the party cadre ahead of the polls. The MPs were given two constituencies, while MLCs were asked to focus on one constituency. But, he was said to be unhappy with the progress made in the last four months, sources in the party said.
Making a reference to sticky issues such the Mahadayi dispute and demand for separate religion status to Lingayat, Mr. Shah reportedly told party leaders that the only way to survive amid such controversies was by strengthening the party organisation at the grassroot level.
Though Mr. Shah was appreciative of the good response to the ongoing Parivarthana Yatra being taken out by State unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa, he was said to be concerned that party leaders were not making efforts to build on the good response.
Mr. Shah is returning to Bengaluru on January 9 for holding the next round of election strategy sessions. He is to participate in the Parivarthana Yatra to be held in Chitradurga on January 10.
Shah asks BSY not to declare candidates
Mr. Shah has reportedly asked Mr. Yeddyurappa to refrain from announcing names of candidates for the Assembly elections during the Parivarthana Yatra.
A section of the BJP State leaders were upset with Mr. Yeddyurappa for making such announcements.
During his recent visit to Bengaluru, Mr. Shah is learnt to have made it clear to Mr. Yeddyurappa that it was the party’s central leadership that would take a final call on the candidates. Any declaration of names by Mr. Yeddyurappa would not have validity, he reportedly said.
