Watch out for sleepless nights, BJP tells Congress government

The Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to use the membership drive launched in the State on Thursday as the first phase of a campaign to implement national president Amit Shah’s call to “free Karnataka from the Congress”.

“This is the first phase of the campaign to free Karnataka from the Congress,” BJP national general secretary, who is in charge of Karnataka affairs, P. Muralidhar Rao, declared here while launching the membership drive that aims to enrol 75 lakh new members by March-end.

He indicated that having so many new members would put the party in an advantageous position ahead of the next Assembly elections.

Declaring that the “party would do everything to regain Karnataka”, to make it stronger in Delhi, he remarked that the State unit would give sleepless nights to the Congress from now on through aggressive campaigns on the “failures” of the government.

Party office-bearers who met here decided to launch a campaign against the government seeking resignation of four Ministers – Wakf Minister Qamarul Islam for allegedly encroaching upon wakf property; Co-operation Minister H.S. Mahadeva Prasad, who is facing charges of submitting false affidavit to get a Karnataka Housing Board site at a subsidised rate; Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao whose family is allegedly in illegal possession of government land, and Home Minister K.J. George for his alleged failure to manage law and order.

‘Will lay siege’

BJP State president Pralhad Joshi said the party would lay siege to the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi when the winter session begins there on December 9, demanding resignation of the above ministers among other issues. Mr. Rao would spearhead the protest, he said. The party would also hold a protest demanding resignation of these Ministers in Bangalore on November 20 in which all its MPs, legislators and office-bearers would participate, he said.