BJP planning 'Modi blitzkrieg' in Karnataka in coming weeks

New Delhi: To hold on to power in the only southern state where it runs the government, the BJP is planning a massive “Modi blitzkrieg” in Karnataka over the next few weeks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold over 25 rallies in the coming weeks. The saffron brigade will also paradrop all its heavyweights, including all its chief ministers. The Union ministers and chief ministers have been asked to keep visiting the state. To counter the rivals’ caste card, state chief minister Basavaraj Bommai will be relying heavily on his social engineering.

Besides the Prime Minister, the top leaders who will frequent the poll-bound state include home minister Amit Shah, BJP president J.P. Nadda (who reached the state Tuesday) and defence minister Rajnath Singh, among others. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be among the party’s “star campaigners”. The Prime Minister is expected to start his rounds after April 24, sources said. Besides rallies, the Prime Minister is also expected to hold roadshows. All top party leaders are expected to frequent the state till May 8, which is the last day of campaigning before the May 10 election. Sources said that home minister Amit Shah could spend over 20 days criss-crossing the state.

To counter the caste equation of the Congress and the JD(S), the chief minister has unleashed his social engineering card. It may be recalled that of the 224 candidates, 62 of them are under 50 years of age. Of these 62 candidates, 15 are Vokkaligas and 15 are Lingayats. The rest are OBCs, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The chief minister, Mr Bommai, has also focused on Kalyan Karnataka, the home turf of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

As Mr Kharge hails from the Chittapur seat in this particular region, upstaging the Congress in its own bastion is “going to be a matter of prestige” for the BJP, a party functionary said. The Prime Minister is also likely to hold a rally and roadshow in this region. Kannada superstar Kichcha Sudeepa has, meanwhile, gone on the campaign trail for the BJP from Tuesday.