The Asian Age

Amit Shah’s nationwide tour reaches K’taka

BJP chief is on 3-day visit to Karnataka

- — Amit Shah, BJP prez

I am hopeful that the way the BJP... has been fighting against the corrupt, oppressive and polarising rule of the Congress, the people of... Karnataka have decided to vote the BJP to power.

BJP national president, Amit Shah declared his chief ministeria­l candidates for the 2018 Assembly elections as the state unit chief and former chief minister, B.S. Yeddyurapp­a on Saturday making it clear that he would stand for no dissidence from rival claimants even in the face of some unhappines­s in the ranks over the role of BSY’s coterie.

Arriving at the airport to a near euphoric welcome, he addressed party workers at the BJP office in Malleswara­m. Mr. Shah, who is here on a three day visit to bolster party unity and build it up from the booth level, said the party hoped to gain a foothold in south India by coming to power in Karnataka in the coming assembly polls and told party workers not to rest until they had removed the ‘corrupt’ Congress government in the state. ”My focus in Karnataka is not only on strengthen­ing the party base, but also on removing the corrupt Congress government and installing a BJP government in its place in 2018,” he said, noting that since winning the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won one election after another in the country. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has helped the party win many elections. In my three days here we will discuss preparatio­ns for the Assembly elections. Besides strengthen­ing the party organisati­on from the booth level onwards, we will have to chalk out a plan for the coming poll,” Mr. Shah said, urging the party workers to fight unitedly to bring the BJP to power in the state.

Despite the dissidence simmering in the party, BJP leaders put up a show of unity before Mr Amit Shah both at the Kempegowda Internatio­nal Airport and the party office with senior leaders like Ananthkuma­r, K.S. Eshwarappa, D.V. Sadananda Gowda and R. Ashok holding up their hands in a victory sign before party workers in a gesture of solidarity on the occasion.

 ?? PTI ?? BJP president Amit Shah wears a Mysore Peta, a traditiona­l headgear, upon his arrival in Bengaluru on Saturday on a three-day visit to Karnataka. Seen on the left is Karnataka ex-CM and BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurapp­a.
PTI BJP president Amit Shah wears a Mysore Peta, a traditiona­l headgear, upon his arrival in Bengaluru on Saturday on a three-day visit to Karnataka. Seen on the left is Karnataka ex-CM and BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurapp­a.
 ?? PTI ?? Artists performing during the welcome reception of party president Amit Shah in Bengaluru on Saturday.
PTI Artists performing during the welcome reception of party president Amit Shah in Bengaluru on Saturday.

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