BS Yeddiyurappa to undertake State tour to build party ahead of 2023 elections

Bengaluru: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddiyurappa on Sunday said that the aim of the BJP in the next Assembly elections was to win 150 seats. "The BJP leaders will soon tour the State to drum up support," he said.

"A target has been set for ensuring the victory of 140-150 MLAs in the next Assembly polls.

To organise the party for this, I will soon begin a state-wide tour," he was quoted as saying by BJP in a release.

He was speaking after inaugurating the state BJP's special meeting in Shivamogga, attended by party general secretary in charge of Karnataka Arun Singh, state unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel, Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Sadananda Gowda, national general secretary C T Ravi, among other leaders.

The next assembly election in Karnataka is expected to be held in 2023.

During the 2018 assembly elections, the Yediyurappa-led BJP got 104 seats, while Congress and the JD(S) won 78 and 37 seats respectively.

It won the subsequent bypolls, taking the party's strength to 118 members, other than the Speaker, in the 225 member Assembly.

Yediyurappa's statement on Sunday comes days after he ruled out leadership change and asserted that he would remain in the CM's post for the remaining term. Yediyurappa, the release said, called for maximum efforts to ensure the party's victory in the by-elections to Belagavi Lok Sabha seat, and Maski and Basavakalyana Assembly segments, which are likely soon.

"The world has recognized Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the world's foremost leader. He has worked hard to make the country a model nation," Yediyurappa said.

He explained that the central government had shown boldness by repealing Article 370, the enactment of the Agricultural Reform Bill and the implementation of the Civil Citizenship Amendment Act.

"It is because of the sacrifice of the thousands of activists that our party is in power today. The success of the recent Gram Panchayat elections has been attributed to collective leadership and perseverance. The results of the next Assembly elections depend on the party's success in the taluka panchayat and zilla panchayat elections. So we have to put in more effort," the CM added.

Paying tributes to Veer Damodar Savarkar, he added that his life at the Andaman Cellular Jail was a motivation behind building the nation.

"We all want to visit the Andaman Cellular Prison at least once," he stated.

Assuring that the Kasturirangan Committee report on conserving the Western Ghats would not be allowed to be implemented as it would affect farmers, he said "honest efforts" would be made in this regard. Karnataka rejected the report just ahead of the National Green Tribunals December 31 deadline for its implementation.

State BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel noted that taluk and ZP polls would be held in about four months and the party would have to win 80 per cent of the seats.