“When we have a very popular leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP should not hesitate to experiment in Karnataka as part of its election strategy, including the distribution of tickets. If we are not doing this now, then we will never be able to groom the youngsters,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a meeting with Karnataka BJP leaders.
Shah, who held a series of meetings here with the state leaders earlier this week to finalise the party candidates for the coming Assembly polls, clearly said, “We have to strengthen our party base and spread its wings everywhere by capitalising on the popularity of Modi. Karnataka leaders also should be ready to accept the changes in the BJP poll strategy and prepare accordingly.”
“We have to groom hardworking party workers as our future leaders. This is the best time to do such an experiment. We did it in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam and Himachal Pradesh. We are going to do it in Karnataka also. We will definitely succeed in our experiment in Karnataka also, a BJP leader quoting Shah, said.
The BJP, which announced candidates for 212 constituencies out of total 224 seats, has dropped 18 sitting MLAs so far. The party fielded 67 new faces.
Shah plans to beat anti-incumbency by dropping some sitting MLAs in its strongholds like the coastal and Malnad regions. The party has fielded new faces in areas where it generally did not win. This will not only energise workers to campaign aggressively but also help to build cadres in the long run, said a leader.
The BJP state unit had suggested renominating most of the sitting MLAs barring a few in the coastal Karnataka and Malnad region. Even the state leaders suggested renominating the leaders, who lost by less than 4,000 votes in the 2018 Assembly polls, said the leader.
However, the central leaders did not accept the state leaders’ suggestions and decided to drop nearly 20 sitting MLAs and field fresh faces, said the leader.
Anticipating rebellion by the dropped sitting MLAs and some of the disgruntled leaders, Shah has already instructed BJP national general secretary B L Santosh, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and state unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel, to talk all leaders and ensure that they should not quit the party.