BJP begins preparation for 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls!

Bengaluru, Mar 29: The three-day national meet of the BJP, to be held in Bengaluru from April 2, is essentially to build the party in South India, where all states are election-bound in one way or another.

The presence of around 300 BJP leaders, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national president Amit Shah, is being perceived to have a strong psychological impact on party cadre in Karnataka and the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Of these three states, Tamil Nadu and Kerala will have assembly polls in 2016, where the BJP plans to open its account in a big way.

In Karnataka, elections are due to gram panchayats (expected to be non-political, but candidates invariably identify themselves with a party for political and financial support) and the BBMP, followed by taluk and zilla panchayat polls later in the year. Apart from these elections, the tenure of various civic bodies is due to expire at different periods before the parties get ready for assembly polls in 2018.

"This is the reason Bengaluru was chosen as the venue, though Bihar will be the first among the block to face assembly elections. Our president has been touring the southern states and the three-day meet here will have a cascading effect on the neighbours,'' Malavika Avinash, BJP state spokesperson, said.

After the Delhi assembly fiasco of announcing a chief ministerial candidate in Kiran Bedi, when the party was in the throes of a poll campaign, the BJP has now decided to identify and groom leaders well ahead of the polls.

Apart from boosting the morale of party workers, the meet will discuss membership enrolment done by the states and tackle the land ordinance Bill, for which the NDA government has decided to issue an ordinance. Karnataka had been given a 1 crore membership enrolment target and party sources said it has reached around 75 lakh.

Shah will arrive in Bengaluru on April 1 to oversee the arrangements. The state unit has constituted 35 departments such as hospitality, food and health to ensure smooth functioning. The three-day meet will be held at Hotel Lalit Ashok. A public meeting will be addressed by the PM at National College Grounds on the evening of April 3.