Karnataka - Bangalore

BJP preparing for a week-long campaign

BANGALORE: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which maintained a strategic low profile and desisted from joining the issue with its ally Janata Dal (Secular), has now decided to give it back.

According to a senior BJP functionary, the party would launch a State-wide campaign sometime in the next week for replying to the charges levelled against it by the JD(S).

The week-long campaign is expected to kick start tentatively from October 10 or 11.

However, the BJP is waiting for a formal stand to be taken by the JD(S) against the transfer of power for finalising details regarding its proposed campaign. Party sources said the campaign might culminate on October 18, when the legislature session was likely to be convened by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.

The proposed campaign is part of an exercise to generate public sympathy in favour of the party in the wake of its ally failing to transfer power to it, sources said.Sources said the BJP legislators would attend the proposed legislature session if it was held.

As it was becoming clear that the power transfer might not happen, the BJP think tank is slowly shifting its focus on the steps to be taken to use the political scenario to its advantage.

Although no decision had been taken on the mid-term polls, several party legislators have already switched over to poll mode.

Several legislators, who gathered at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday, were having an informal discussion with party workers and among themselves about the poll prospects.

The party leaders are trying to work out strategies to be adopted for sustaining the tempo of the party workers till the next elections.

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