Bengaluru: In the light of Assembly elections in Karnataka early next year, the arrival of BJP National President and master strategist Amit Shah, who arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport here this morning, assumes significance. Amit Shah is on a tightly-packed three-day visit to the State.

Amit Shah landed at the airport in Vistara Airlines at 10.45 am, 45 minutes ahead of schedule and was received by BJP State President B.S. Yeddyurappa, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly K.S. Eshwarappa, Union Ministers Sadananda Gowda, Ananth Kumar and others.

He was resting in the VIP lounge of the airport for about 30 minutes and later held discussions with the leaders even as a large number of party workers had gathered outside to welcome him. He then drove to the party office in Malleswaram, where he will hold discussions with the party leaders regarding the strategy for the upcoming elections.

Intellectuals invited: Shah’s stay in Bengaluru is closely watched not only by the leaders of his own party but also the Opposition parties. He is going to hold discussions with more than 600 intellectuals and thinkers in the city, which has also led to curiosity.

Today, Shah is likely to hold meetings with well-known heart surgeon Dr. Devi Shetty, Dr. Sudarshan Ballal, Researcher and Littérateur Prof. Chidananda Murthy.  “Local leaders and party workers in order to woo me might mislead me with information that is music to my ears. If we trust this and face the elections, it would hurt the party. Hence, if I hold talks with people who are accomplished in different fields, I will come to know the reality and chalk out a strategy accordingly,” he has said.

Shah is interested in knowing the political atmosphere in the State, the party’s strengths and weaknesses, the Centre-State relationship and how the present Government has failed to deliver in many areas, from these intellectuals.

Shah is planning to put the UP model of ‘win one booth at a time,’ in Karnataka. He has tasted huge success in the general elections and in the recently held UP elections.

Today’s programme: Amit Shah is going to hold nearly 25 meetings in the three days of his stay in Bengaluru. Today, he will inaugurate the library building on the first floor above the party office and later hold a meeting with the core committee. From there he will drive to Hotel Gardenia where he will hold discussions with the office-bearers of the party, District Presidents and General Secretaries.

After these meetings, Shah will be in discussion with the intellectuals from the State between 6.15 and 7 pm. Tomorrow morning he will visit Adichunchanagiri in Mandya District.