BJP planning for “big win” in next Assembly polls

The new office-bearers of the BJP units in Belagavi district were appointed at a function in Belagavi on Thursday. The new Belagavi parliamentary constituency president Vishwanath I. Patil and Belagavi city president Anil Benke sport the party flags. PHOTO: BY P.K. BADIGER.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is looking forward to capture at least 150 seats in the next Assembly elections around two years from now. Belagavi district covers two parliamentary constituencies of Belagavi and Chikkodi consisting of eight Assembly segments each and shares two segments with the Karwar Parliamentary constituency; and the party plans to corner at least 15 Assembly seats in the district.

This was made clear to the party leaders and workers at a thickly attended gathering to mark the appointment of new office-bearers for Belagavi city and two parliamentary constituencies at Mahatma Gandhi Bhavan here on Thursday. While former Minister Shashikant Naik has been appointed as president of Chikkodi parliamentary constituency, Vishwanath I. Patil, MLA (Bailhongal), is the new president of Belagavi parliamentary constituency. Anil Benke, an advocate, has replaced Belagavi city president Ujwala Badawanache.

Dr. Patil, who was elected as a candidate of the Karnataka Janata Paksha formed by B.S. Yeddyurappa but later merged with the BJP, said that at the BJP State Executive Committee meeting held recently, party’s State President and former Chief Minister Mr. Yeddyurappa had asked the workers and leaders to start working on two points – highlight the ‘failure’ of the Congress government and inform the people about the various welfare measures taken by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

He said the Congress, with only six Assembly seats in the district, had realised that Belagavi was BJP’s ‘fortress’ and looks forward to demolish it. But, “we have to work over time to win at least 15 seats in the district.”

Later, Mr. Benke said if the workers worked 24x7 over the next two years, the target of 150 Assembly seats would be within the BJP’s reach. At present, there were nine BJP MLAs in the district and the figure must reach 15 in the next polls, he added.

Addresses by Suresh C. Angadi, MP, Prabhakar Kore, Rajya Sabha member, Umesh V. Katti, MLA, former Belagavi rural president Eranna Kadadi, Sanjay B. Patil, MLA, Mahantesh M. Kavatagimath, MLC, Vishwanath C. Mamni, MLA, and other sitting and former legislators of the party also had similar tone and content.