Alarmed Shah calls Karnataka team to draw 2018 poll plan

Bengaluru: Alarmed by its thin margin of victory in the Gujarat elections, BJP’s national president, Amit Shah has summoned the party’s Karnataka core committee members to Delhi for a meeting on Wednesday to draw up a strategy for the 2018 state elections.

Apprehensive about the growing prominence of Chief minister Siddaramaiah in Karnataka, the BJP could focus on him rather than Congress national president, Rahul Gandhi in the run-up to the elections, say sources. Mr Shah is reportedly keen on learning the response that the Chief Minister has been getting on his ongoing tour of the state and could chalk out a strategy to counter him.

Interestingly, Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has also been invited for the Wednesday meeting although he is not a member of the BJP core committee. Going by sources, the party is impressed by  his aggressive speeches during the on-going Parivarthana Yatra and plans to give him additional responsibility to counter Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the 2018 state elections. With the party also working on a strong Hindutva agenda  for the coming poll, it hopes to make use of Mr Hegde’s  “skills” in this area, according to party insiders.

Sources close to the Minister say Wednesday’s meeting in Delhi could be  crucial for Karnataka and reveal he could get a prominent role to play in the BJP’s campaign strategy.

Mr Shah is expected to also assess the election preparations made by the state unit of the party and look into whether it has  strengthened the  party organisations and reconstituted the booth committees as instructed.

Besides the Parivarthana Yatra being led by state unit chief, B.S. Yeddyurappa across the state will also come in for close scrutiny, say sources. The yatra has covered nearly 100 constituencies across the state in 50 days.  Mr. Shah  is expected to  review  preparations for the mega rally planned at Hubballi on December 28 as well.