The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BJP to try Gujarat, Himachal campaign models in Karnataka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 29, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

BJP to try Gujarat, Himachal campaign models in Karnataka

Special Correspondent

Leaders hold interaction with Gujarat campaign manager
Poll campaign in State to be decentralised

BANGALORE: Encouraged by the party’s victory in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka unit has decided to replicate the poll campaign model adopted by its Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh counterparts in the ensuing elections to the State Legislative Assembly.

National co-organising secretary of the BJP V. Satish, who monitored the party’s poll campaign in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, came down to Bangalore on Friday to share his experience with a core team comprising party State leaders.

In the day-long interaction, the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh campaign manager of the party is learnt to have given some tips on not only the poll campaign style, but also on the ongoing “Janajagruthi Yatra,” which is a campaign against the perceived political betrayal by the Janata Dal (Secular).

The fact that BJP national vice-president and Karnataka in-charge Yashwant Sinha himself attended the interaction meet was an indicator to the eagerness of the party State unit to emulate the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh example. The

During the interaction, the party leaders are learnt to have decided to decentralise their poll campaign by dividing the State unit into six zones.

According to sources, some prominent leaders, including BJP national general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar did not take part in the interaction. State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda said the purpose of holding an interaction with Gujarat campaign manager was to get a few tips on increasing the effectiveness of the party’s campaign in Karnataka.

National executive

Meanwhile, there are doubts on whether the BJP national executive committee meeting would be held in Bangalore as planned in the last week of January. The party central unit was keen on holding such a meeting in Bangalore to bring the focus on Karnataka and to build up the tempo in the wake of the ensuing elections to the Assembly. However, the party State unit is of the view that holding such a big event just when the elections are round the corner, might affect its poll campaign.

Rally

Instead of a national executive committee meeting, the BJP State unit is now planning to hold a huge rally in Bangalore in the first week of February.

The rally would be held after the party completes its ongoing campaign in the areas where it has strong-hold.

The party is planning to invite all its central leaders and Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled States for the rally.

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