Congress-BJP Pull Out All The Stops In Karnataka

By S Gopinath Reddy

Over 50 “social media volunteers” are busy on their computers in a special facility set up by the Congress party in Bengaluru to counter the BJP campaign on social media platforms. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp have come in handy for the ruling Congress party in Karnataka to propagate what the party has done during the last five years. Former Congress MP from Telangana Madhu Yashki is supervising the Centre.

Not to be outsmarted by the Congress, the BJP has set up several such centres in various parts of Bengaluru to expose the “corrupt Congress government and its failures”. With barely two weeks left for the D-day of May 12, when the 4.96 crore voters of Karnataka decide the fate of both the Congress and the BJP, both the parties are leaving no stone unturned.

If the pre-poll surveys are to be believed, the crucial elections to the 224 seats will be a close contest and the campaigning has picked up momentum.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has made several visits to the State already and released the party’s manifesto this morning. He claimed that Siddaramaiah government has fulfilled 95 per cent of the promises made in 2013 manifesto and that the party's manifesto is the “Mann ki baath of people of Karnataka”. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress chief said that the BJP manifesto being prepared by three or four persons will be the manifesto of the RSS. They do not respect the culture of Karnataka, he said taking a direct dig at the BJP. On the other hand, BJP is preparing manifesto for each of the 224 Assembly constituencies, besides a comprehensive manifesto for the State.

BJP president Amit Shah, who is personally supervising the campaign is busy touring the State. The Prime Minister is expected to participate in 15 to 20 rallies starting May 1. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is active on social media has chalked out a whistle stop election campaign with 50 rallies in 14 districts. Taking a cue from the Prime Minister, the Siddaramaiah camp has also made preparations for “hologram” campaign. A 15-minute speech of Siddararamaih is ready and ten trucks with the “hologram campaign” facility will tour 150 crucial constituencies. The chief minister’s speech will mainly focus on what his government did during the last five years.

BJP chief ministerial candidate Yedyurappa is still in the shadows of Amit Shah, who has denied party ticket to his son while allotting seven tickets to mining baron and former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy’s clan. Though Amit Shah at an election meeting disowned Janardhan Reddy, he however, gave tickets to his brothers and close relatives, and raised many an eyebrow within BJP itself. This move also gave enough fodder to the Congress to attack BJP.

The first ten days of May will ensure a high-voltage campaign in Karnataka, whose outcome will have a direct impact on Rahul Gandhi and also Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.