All three parties have swung into election mode by launching campaigns and rallies While BJP is launching its Vistarak Yojana on July, the JD(S) is hosting a massive ST convention in Davangere on the same day The Congress launched its first big rally in Kudalasangama on Thursday. The ruling party has planned four back to back public rallies and conventions to be held on July first and the second week
Advanced elections or not, the three political parties certainly do not want to leave anything to chance this election season.
Unlike previous years, the parties have already begun to launch election campaigns, with each of them upping the ante day on day. The BJP which is on the ‘Mission 150’ mode, set the tone for campaigning activities, with party president B S Yeddyurappa launching the 36-day Janasampark Abhiyan on May 18.
Officially to assess drought conditions across the State, Yeddyurappa has been visiting all districts, where he is not only trying to appease the Dalit community (through the ‘Pankti Bhojana’ concept), he is also holding massive rallies and attracting large crowds in the process. Parallely, the BJP is also working towards its expansion activities by formally launching the ‘Vistarak Yojana’, where party cadres will be required to spend 15 days in their neighbouring Assembly constituencies.
During this time, the cadres are expected to connect with the various strata of society, be it women, youths, religious representatives, traders, NGOs, etc. They are also expected to strengthen the booth committees, ensuring over 60 per cent voter enrollment in each booth.
Importantly, Vistaraks are expected to organise SC/ST Abhiyans, to ensure large-scale enrolment of the community members into the party. The party also plans to ‘march towards slums’ in the coming days. The party wants to repeat another Uttar Pradesh in Karnataka, by successfully consolidating the Dalit and OBC votes.
The party hopes to organise itself by August, as BJP national president Amit Shah will be in Karnataka from August 3 to 5.
Not to be left behind, the Congress too has planned a series of rallies and campaigns, in addition to charting out the visits of AICC president and vice president, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The party on Thursday launched its massive public rally in Kudalasangama, where KPCC’s newly appointed working president S R Patil took charge formally. The party launched the rally in a Lingayat dominated region, a community that Patil represents.
All party leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, participated in the programme. The party has organised a workers meet in Belagavi and Athani on June 30, following which it will host massive conventions in Hassan, Mangaluru and Kalaburgi on July 3, 7, and 11, respectively.
The Congress is also planning a booth committee members interaction in Raichur by end of July, which will be presided by Rahul Gandhi. It is hoping to invite Sonia Gandhi for Indira Gandhi’s birth anniversary celebrations in Chikkamagalur, a constituency which gave the former prime minister her political rebirth in the year 1978.
Though the JD(S) has not got into the election mode as aggressively, its poster boy H D Kumaraswamy has been steadfastly touring the North Karnataka districts, where the regional party lacks base.
His father, party’s supremo H D Deve Gowda too has begun touring the State, despite his ripe age.
Not to be left behind in the competition to appease the Dalit community, the JD(S)’s ST Wing is organising a massive convention to mark Maharshi Valmiki’s birth anniversary in Davangere, on July 1. The event will be inaugurated by Gowda.
