Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday cautioned his party colleagues against taking the opposition lightly in the upcoming elections.
"I have a suggestion to all of you. None of you should take the opposition lightly. They have their own calculation and strengths," Yediyurappa said at the BJP Core Committee meeting here.
The Lingayat strongman claimed that a few Congress leaders are in touch with some BJP leaders.
Read more: Karnataka govt to take corrective step in Mysuru temple demolition incident: CM Basavaraj Bommai
"You need to tread with confidence without giving chance to such incidents (defection). We have to make a sincere effort for the BJP to come back to power with 140 seats in the next assembly elections," Yediyurappa, who stepped down as the Chief Minister on July 26, said here.
He said the party can be strengthened by inducting into the BJP leaders from SC/ST and OBC communities. Further, he asked to include a team of 20 to 25 women and the BJP youth wing leaders at the booth level organisation.
Yediyurappa also appealed to the party functionaries to make the welfare programmes of the Centre and the state government reach every household. He also told the gathering that he would take up a state-wide tour shortly to strengthen the party base.
Yediyurappa reminded the core committee members that the BJP has to win both Hanagal and Sindagi assembly bypolls because its failure will send the wrong signals.
"No one here should assume that Hanagal and Sindagi are easy turfs," Yediyurappa said.
Speaking about the demolition of temple in Nanjangud in Mysuru recently, which drew widespread criticism, Yediyurappa said a decision has been taken not to allow destruction of any temples anywhere. He also said that the BJP government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court seeking "correction" in the judgment.
"Whatever has happened is now over. It will not be repeated. Those party workers who are upset should take note of this," Yediyurappa said.
BJP state chief Nalin Kumar Kateel and BJP national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh too addressed the gathering. In his address, Kateel took a dig at Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah regarding his criticism of temple demolition in Nanjangud.
He said this is one instance which occurred without the knowledge of the government but the Congress government turned a blind eye to the attacks and murders of many BJP workers in Karnataka.
Senior party functionaries such as union ministers Pralhad Joshi, Shobha Karanjlaje and D V Sadananda Gowda, Karnataka ministers, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, his son and BJP state vice-president B Y Vijayendra, BJP MLAs, MLCs, MPs and district level BJP functionaries are attending the event.
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