The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday launched a three-day registration drive for the rally to be addressed by its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at the Bangalore Palace Grounds on November 17. Registration is for the party workers who have to confirm their participation by paying a commitment fee of Rs. 10.
Party State president Prahlad Joshi, who inaugurated the drive, said that counters had been set up at all the 52,000 polling booths in the State for registration.
The party also launched an online registration facility through its website. As many as 1,981 persons registered through the website within the hour of launching the facility. The party is hoping to get 25,000 to 30,000 registrations online.
Claiming that the rally would turn out to be one of biggest public meetings in the State, Mr. Joshi said that the State unit was hoping that the rally will change its political fortunes.
Taking serious exception to the Congress government in the State launching “Shaadi Bhagya” scheme for providing financial assistance of Rs. 50,000 to poor Muslim brides, Mr. Joshi demanded that the benefits of the scheme should be extended to brides of poor families belonging to all communities and religions.
Terming it as an attempt to divide society on the lines of religion ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Joshi said that the Congress was likely to stop the scheme after the elections. “When the continuation of the Congress government as well as Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister after the Lok Sabha elections itself is doubtful, how can such schemes have a long life?” he wondered.
Expressing concern over Kirit Parikh committee’s recommendation to restrict the annual supply of LPG cylinders to a maximum of six per family and also to increase the price of diesel, Mr. Joshi warned the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre that the BJP would launch an agitation if these recommendations were accepted.
Party spokesperson S. Suresh Kumar, general secretary C.T. Ravi and actors Jaggesh and Malavika were present.
‘Bharata gellisi rally’
The BJP has named the rally as “Bharata gellisi (ensure India’s victory) rally”. “The country has lost much under the UPA regime. Hence, we named the rally ‘Bharata gellisi rally’ under which we are going to seek a change in government for ensuring ‘India’s victory’,” Mr. Joshi said.
