Mysuru: In a last-minute change in his schedule, BJP National President Amit Shah today cancelled his visit to the core areas of Varuna Constituency where he was supposed to hold a public rally and a road show.
He instead chose to take a chopper from Bengaluru HAL Airport to Mysore Airport at Mandakalli and from there to Periyapatna.
Earlier, a massive road show and a public rally were planned at Hadinaru village in Varuna at 11 am today and the BJP President was scheduled to drum up support for party candidate Thotadappa Basavaraju.
This morning, however, the plans were changed and it was communicated to the media that Shah will instead participate in a road show in some areas of T. Narasipura that comes under Varuna Constituency.
Though party sources were tight-lipped about the eleventh-hour change, sources told Star of Mysore that Shah’s tour programme was changed following intelligence inputs and feedback from ground level that anticipated trouble from the supporters of B.Y. Vijayendra, the son of BJP State President B.S. Yeddyurappa.
Party workers at Varuna are miffed with the BJP High Command for denying ticket to Vijayendra at the last moment that too after he campaigned for over a month in Varuna and built a party base there.
Vijayendra’s supporters have openly rebelled against the party’s decision making it clear that they would not support the BJP in the election. This has resulted in the party’s campaign coming to a halt in Varuna.
Chief Minister Siddharamaiah’s son Dr. Yathindra is contesting from Varuna and the party workers feel that there is no formidable candidate than Vijayendra to give a tough fight to Yathindra.
Though Vijayendra has now been made the State BJP Yuva Morcha General Secretary and despite him (Vijayendra) speaking to party workers at Varuna requesting them to toe the party line, his supporters are not ready to listen. Vijayendra has even sent multiple messages pacifying the agitated party workers.
Intelligence reports have conveyed to the BJP High Command that the angry party workers might stage protests at Varuna during Shah’s visit and this is the reason for last-minute change in the party President’s schedule, sources said.
As per his revised schedule, Amit Shah landed at the Mysore Airport on his chopper at 10.50 am and the chopper flew to Periyapatna at about 11 am. He arrived at Periyapatna at noon and proceeded to the venue of a massive road show from APMC Yard till the Periyapatna Inspection Bungalow where he campaigned for party candidate S. Manjunath.
From Periyapatna, Shah was scheduled to land at Mysore Airport. After a quick lunch at the Airport, Shah was to travel by road to parts of T.Narasipur that comes under Varuna and hold a road show from Tirumakudlu Circle till Yelavarahundi. Shah would canvass for Thotadappa Basavaraju. Later, he will travel by road to Narasimharaja Constituency where he will participate in a road show from Shivaji Road till Ashoka Road. Shah will seek votes for BJP Narasimharaja candidate Sandesh Swamy.
The BJP President will later participate in a road show from Ashoka Road till Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple and canvass for Chamaraja BJP candidate L. Nagendra. His last road show will be at Krishnaraja Constituency where he will seek votes for party candidate S.A. Ramdas.
The road show is scheduled to begin from Shanthala Talkies Circle and will end at Bhoothaal Pitch at Vidyaranyapuram. After the road show at Krishnaraja, Shah will arrive at Radisson Blu and will halt there for the night.
This post was published on May 5, 2018 6:45 pm