BJP in battle mode, ropes in Sangh Parivar to help retain Malnad, coastal belt

Mangaluru: With the elections to the state assembly announced, the Bharatiya Janata Party has gone into battle mode , roping in the Sangh Parivar, to help it campaign  and win as many seats as possible.

Not only the influential Parivar activists, but also those who have been largely inactive in recent years, are now in the field campaigning for it, focusing largely on its strongholds of Malnad and the coast.

But  the Parivar has reportedly been warned to play only a supportive role and not interfere in selection of candidates by the party's top leadership. 

Activists of the RSS, Bajrang Dal, HJV and VHP too have begun working for the BJP in various constituencies , claiming they have the pulse of the people.  

“For Sangh workers a campaign does not mean door- to -door visits like it does for political parties. They have their own peculiar style of contacting people without attracting too much attention. They  contact  people, who are respected in  society and are opinion- makers to reach out to voters,” explains an activist, who has worked on  such a campaign in the past. “Usually the Sangh gets involved in parliamentary elections and does not take much interest in assembly polls. It had kept a distance during the last state assembly election of 2013 owing to differences within the Bharatiya Janata Party.  It is  only now after many years that it has decided to get actively involved in the assembly election again,” says a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, who believes its support will help the party, especially on the coast and in the Malnad.

“Its activists will be able to capture the real picture of every village and booth and help us focus where we need to,” he adds.

Complaint against Kalladaka Prabhakar

Dakshina Kannada district Congress committee has submitted a complaint against RSS leader Kalladaka Prabhakar Bhat, alleging violation of code of conduct, and for speaking lightly about the Election Commission of India. 
District Congress Committee president Harish Kumar submitted the complaint to the deputy commissioner and election officer. In the complaint, the leader stated that during his speech in Kairangala on Friday, Mr Prabhakar Bhat spoke in a manner which could instigate tension between two communities. 

He alleged that Mr Bhat had not only violated the code of donduct but has also spoken lightly of Election Commission, and demanded action against Mr Bhat.
Meanwhile, the  returning officer of Mangaluru constituency said that flying squads are examining the speech of Mr Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat and that a case would be registered if he has violated the code of conduct.