BJP to allure Vokkaliga leaders in Karnataka's Old Mysuru region
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP is going to allure several Vokkaliga leaders from "panchayat to Parliament" into its fold from Karnataka's Old Mysuru region ahead of the Assembly polls in the southern state due later this year, party leaders said on Sunday.
They said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already been working on the ground and reaching out to like-minded people in the run-up to the election.
BJP's Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh said the saffron party will win a record number of seats from the region, where it has been working on the ground and engaging in booth-level activities for quite some time.
"There are seven Vokkaliga ministers in the Karnataka government. The community has also been represented at the Centre. There is space for all communities in the BJP. We believe in the philosophy of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'," Singh, a general secretary of the party, said.
Echoing similar sentiments, another BJP general secretary CT Ravi said the party has been working on a two-pronged strategy for the Old Mysuru region.
"We have activated our teams on the ground, from page committees to the mandal level, and invited like-minded Vokkaliga leaders from panchayat to Parliament into the party-fold," Ravi, an MLA in the southern state, said.
Both Singh and Ravi asserted that the BJP should not be seen as a community-specific party, saying it believes in "cultural nationalism" and "politics of development".
The BJP has traditionally been seen as a relatively weaker force in the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru region. There are 59 Assembly seats in the region and the party won only nine of those in the 2018 Assembly polls.
Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah addressed a major rally at Mandya in the Old Mysuru region on Saturday.
Vokkaligas account for at least 15 per cent of Karnataka's population and are seen as the second-most influential vote bank in the state after the Lingayats.
The region consists of districts such as Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Tumakuru, Chamarajanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar and Chikkaballapur.
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Former Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh passes away at 92
New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92. He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) on Thursday after his health reportedly detoriated.
According to sources, Dr. Singh was brought to the hospital's emergency department around 8 PM. However, the specific reason for his hospitalisation has not yet been disclosed.
Dr. Manmohan Singh is widely recognized for his pivotal role in steering India’s economic liberalisation as Finance Minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government from 1991 to 1996. His economic reforms during that period marked a transformative era for the Indian economy.
Serving as Prime Minister for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014 under the UPA government, Dr. Singh has been a towering figure in Indian politics. Until earlier this year, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha, retiring in April after decades of public service.
Former Prime Minister #ManmohanSingh passes away at the age of 92 in AIIMS Delhi pic.twitter.com/hlZqLu1NkW
— DD News (@DDNewslive) December 26, 2024
