As the BJP seeks to regain power in Karnataka, the Central leadership is pinning its hopes on carpet bombing of the electoral turf by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to swing the balance in the party’s favour.
According to sources privy to the party’s campaign programme, Modi is expected to hold around two dozen rallies, the schedule for which is being worked out.
So far, BJP president Amit Shah is campaigning and overseeing the poll strategies in the State.
Modi’s proposed public meetings have assumed high importance in the wake of two back-to-back surveys showing the Congress ahead in the electoral race and headed for a comfortable majority.
Given the public response to Modi’s public rallies at Bengaluru and Mysuru last month, the BJP has planned his extensive poll campaigning in the State to turn the tide of public opinion.
“Most of the public rallies of the Prime Minister would be held at the district levels to touch the base with the voters and they would be spread out till the last date of campaigning,” they said.
The number of Modi’s public rallies could still go up as the campaign for the May 12 Karnataka poll intensifies. Party’s Central leadership in tandem with State leaders will review the situation after the first couple of visits of the Prime Minister to the State for campaigning.
Modi is expected to hold more than one rally in a day and he may visit the State eight to ten times in next 40 days, sources said.
While Modi logged 24 rallies in the high-stake Uttar Pradesh elections last year, his best still remains 31 during the Bihar polls in 2015. In Tripura, Modi clocked four rallies.
One per cent vote swing in the State would be crucial to the formation of the Government for the two principal parties.
In 2013 State elections which the BJP lost, the Congress gained only around 2 percentage points but won by taking its tally from 80 in 2008 to 121. With 40 seats eache , the BJP and tJDS shared the same vote percentage of nearly 20 per cent in 2013 elections.
Interestingly, in 2008 polls, BJP’s poll percentage was one per cent less but still emerged the largest party with 110 seats in the Assembly of 224 (plus one nominated Anglo-Indian) and formed the government.
BJP leaders claimed that though JDS leader Deve Gowda has been talking of maintaining equidistance with the Congress and the BJP, his candidates would undercut the Congress votes to ultimately help the BJP.
As Shah moves to Mysuru — the stronghold of Gowda’s Vokkalinga community — for three day campaigning and thereafter travels to Northern Karnataka, dominated by party’s Chief Minister BS Yedyurappa’s lingyat caste, for another three days electioneering, BJP leaders are looking forward to Modi to bring in the much-needed vigour to the BJP’s campaign.