With polling over for the Lok Sabha elections, all eyes are now on the results which will be declared on May 16. While BJP leaders are confident that former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, the party’s candidate for the prestigious Shimoga Lok Sabha seat, will sweep the polls, his critics think otherwise.
Former deputy chief minister K.S. Eshwarappa who was state BJP president earlier, is confident of an outright victory and explained the reasons for his optimism in an interview with Deccan Chronicle, while relaxing at his residence after a hectic campaign.
Excerpts:
With polling over, how many seats will the BJP win in Karnataka?
In this election other parties kept dilly-dallying on their candidates because their campaign revolves around candidates. But for the BJP, the organization is important. We set up booth-level committees all over the state soon after the assembly elections in 2013.
The committees were supposed to set right the damages suffered in the past and reorganize the party. For instance, Mr Yeddyurappa and Bellary BJP candidate B. Sriramulu who had left the party and formed their own outfits, rejoined us. We worked on three aspects – the party organization, unity and third, the Modi wave in the country which ensured that we were able to influence a large number of voters. The BJP will win 20 seats going by its performance.
But what about the internal rift in the party – the differences between former chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and former deputy chief minister R. Ashok; Ms Shobha Karandlaje and Mr C.T. Ravi and between you and Mr Yeddyurappa. With this negative image, will you win more seats than the Congress?
There were some hiccups while choosing candidates. Aspiring for tickets to contest elections is not wrong. But once the party leadership finalized the candidates, there were no differences. All the leaders have worked for the success of the party and not for individual gain. Party workers and leaders were united in all 28 constituencies.
Similarly, I and Mr Yeddyurappa maintained a distance for some time as he launched his own party. But now he has rejoined the BJP and we are together. Mr. Yeddyurappa is our top ace.
In Shimoga, the development work done by him when he was CM, has made him popular and he will get a good lead this time.
You said that there is a Modi wave in the State but state BJP president Prahlad Joshi seems to struggling hard in Dharwad against his opponents this time. Is there a Modi wave in north Karnataka?
Who told like this? Some vested interests have spread rumours about Mr Joshi. The Congress which calls the BJP communal, is involved in caste politics in Dharwad. This will not work in their favour. Including Mr Joshi, the BJP will definitely win 20 seats.
The Congress party has the support of the Muslims and Kurubas. They claim they will win more seats. Being a leader of the Kuruba community what do you have to say?
Congress leaders are under the illusion that they will get the support of Muslims and Kurubas. Whatever may be their caste, creed or religion, voters look at what parties have done for them. These communities have observed the development the state achieved under the leadership of former CMs Mr Yeddyurappa, Mr Sadananda Gowda and Mr Jagadish Shettar. Now, we are united and working taking all sections into confidence. So, there is no question of banking on any particular caste.
Don’t you think the BJP made mistakes in candidate selection? For instance, look at the candidates in Bidar, Mysore and Hassan.
No, it is not a mistake. It was a political strategy of the BJP to field Bhagawant Khuba in Bidar, Pratap Simha in Mysore and C.H. Vijayshankar in Hassan. See. This strategy will fetch us Bidar and Mysore though the picture in Hassan is still unclear.
During the 2009 polls, the BJP was in power in the state and there was unity in the party. But in the journey to 2014, differences have cropped up. You do not carry the image you had in 2009.
I agree that after the 2009 elections, the party witnessed several ups and downs and internal differences which resulted in our defeat in the 2013 assembly elections. Now, in 2014 the BJP is again united with the return of Mr Yeddyurappa and Mr Sriramulu. The Modi wave in the state has made people come out and vote for the BJP.
