BJP's mega rally in Karnataka: Yeddyurappa and senior leaders detained
What's the story
Karnataka Police detained several BJP leaders, including state party chief BS Yeddyurappa, at a rally protesting the alleged murders of party functionaries. Permission was not granted for this rally. On September 4 also, the Karnataka police had denied permission and detained BJP members from holding a "Mangaluru Chalo" bike rally fearing communal tensions. Read on to know why these rallies are being conducted.
Rallies
Why are these rallies being conducted?
These rallies are being conduced to protest the murders of RSS and BJP functionaries and other repeated instances of violence against them in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. Communal violence has flared up at these places. BJP has accused Islamist elements, linked to the Social Democratic Party of India, of these murders and has demanded strict action.
Amit Shah
Is Amit Shah's criticism of Karnataka BJP's leadership the reason?
BJP's plan is Mission 150 in 2018 Assembly elections. Last month, when BJP president Amit Shah visited Karnataka, he criticized the state's BJP leadership of not highlighting and agitating against the I-T raids on the state's energy minister DK Shivakumar and the attacks on RSS workers. Karnataka, considered a Congress stronghold, has emerged significant because the BJP plans to make in-roads in South.
Other campaigns
What are the other campaigns Yeddyurappa has undertaken?
After being criticized by Amit Shah, Yeddyurappa launched a week-long agitation protesting the "corrupt" Congress government and demanding Shivakumar's removal. Yeddyurappa demanded CM Siddaramaiah's resignation on grounds of "moral responsibility" for "destruction of evidence" in the alleged suicide case of Dy SP M K Ganapathy. He had blamed the state's HM and two police officers, who were later given a clean chit by CID.
Survey
Are Yeddyurappa's tactics working?
To counter the Congress-sanctioned C-Fore survey that pegged 120-132 seats for the ruling party and 60-70 seats for BJP, the BJP hired Creative Center for Political and Social Studies (COPS) to conduct a survey. The survey, conducted in July 2017, gives BJP 113 seats, Congress 86 seats and JD(S) 25 seats. These surveys indicate that Karnataka is going to be a hotly contested battle.