“It isn’t over yet, Narendra Modi is still to come” — so says the BJP camp on the Karnataka election campaign as the Congress already claims to get a full majority.
“Our ground reports show that we are ahead of the Congress by 7-10 seats. Our campaign is still to begin. Watch out for the narrative to change once our big campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolls out from the last week of April,” a senior BJP leader told News18.
A second BJP leader said there will be a strong counter by the PM to the ‘PayCM corruption’ and ‘freebies’ campaign of the Congress. Modi could aggressively attack the corruption history of the Congress pre-2014 and “expose” Congress’ track record of not delivering on its poll promises after their earlier state election victories.
Congress has made four election promises through guarantee cards such as Rs 2,000 allowance to women and 200 units of free power. The PM could remind voters about the double-engine development and the host of expressways and airports that have come to the state under the BJP government.
BJP leaders say many central schemes are supplemented by the government in Karnataka and people may lose out on that if Congress comes to power. “While the central government sends Rs 6,000 under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the Karnataka government adds another Rs 4,000 to it. Will that go away if the Congress comes to power?” A BJP leader asked.
While the Congress is claiming a runaway win, the BJP camp feels it is a tight contest in which BJP has an edge due to the social matrix in the state. Other senior BJP leaders that News18 spoke to said the ‘4% Muslim reservation’ issue and ‘Modi Teri Kabar Khudegi’ remark of the Congress would also be central to the PM’s campaign to push Congress to the back-foot. The first issue will be used to highlight the Congress policy of appeasement and the second has already been raised by the PM in his earlier public meetings in Karnataka to say the opposition party wishes death upon him. This will also be an attempt by the BJP to try to derail the ‘local issue-centric’ campaign of the Congress so far in the Karnataka polls.
Shettar-Laxman Exit
BJP leaders say Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi are leaders beyond their prime and not likely to win their seats. “Shettar also knows that BJP will win in Karnataka, that’s why he wanted a ticket for himself and not even his son as he sees himself as a CM contender if he wins his seat. He knows he is a senior Lingayat leader and can pose a challenge to Basavaraj Bommai. BJP did not fall into this trap,” a senior BJP leader argued. Laxman lost in the 2018 elections too after shifting to the BJP but the party still made him an MLC and deputy CM. “He wants the BJP to repeat its mistake again and give him a ticket,” the BJP leader said.
He explained that the BJP has gone for a generational change with 74 first-timers contesting on tickets mostly given outside Bengaluru. “Why has the Congress delayed its tickets after starting early? A party that is winning early should have done so,” a BJP leader said.
An X-factor would be Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s campaign in Karnataka, the BJP feels.
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