Maha BJP leaders to campaign in K’taka despite MES appeal

According to leaders privy to developments, the MES had appealed to the all political partiesnot to assign any leaders for campaigning in Karnataka, as politicians in Maharashtra, mainly those from the southern region, have more influence on Marathas in Karnataka.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its decision to send its leaders for campaigning in the Maratha belt of Karnataka for the assembly elections scheduled on May 10, despite an appeal from the pro-Maharashtra organisation Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) to not campaign in the bordering region for the upcoming polls, leaders close to developments said on Sunday.

The BJP has announced its decision to send its leaders for campaigning in the Maratha belt of Karnataka for the assembly elections. (Agencies)

According to the leaders, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis have confirmed their campaign dates for the BJP this week.

A few other BJP leaders from the southern part of Maharashtra, adjoining the northern part of Karnataka, will also campaign for the party, they added.

In contrast, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and both the factions of Shiv Sena have not yet responded to the MES’s request to deploy leaders to campaign for it in the election.

MES, which lost all the seats it contested in the 2018 assembly elections, will contest six constituencies, hoping to win the Belagavi South and Khanapur seats.

According to leaders privy to developments, the MES had appealed to the all political partiesnot to assign any leaders for campaigning in Karnataka, as politicians in Maharashtra, mainly those from the southern region, have more influence on Marathas in Karnataka.

Recently, a delegation of MES leaders met Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis, and Gadkari. The delegation appealed to them not to assign anyone for the campaign for BJP as “it could affect the MES’ poll prospects”.

While the organisation also requested Shiv Sena former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to campaign for it along with his team in the election, the Shiv Sena factions and the BJP have not assured, the above-cited leaders said.

The MES also appealed to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who has fielded his party candidates in a few constituencies and has agreed to campaign for MES in the constituencies where the party is not contesting.

NCP has not fielded in Belagavi South, north and Khanapur constituencies, where the MES hopes to win.

MES spokesman Vikas Kalghatagi told HT that Marathas who supported BJP in the last two elections are turning back on the organisation for which there is a ray of hope of winning the election.

“Maharashtra ruling party leaders, including CM Shinde, assured us of not interfering in the Karnataka election, and former CM Uddhav Thackeray promised of sending his party leaders to campaign for MES. However, unfortunately, Maharashtra BJP is standing with the party instead its linguistics in Karnataka,” Kalghatagi said.

Belagavi district BJP (rural) president Sanjay Patil, who represented the Belagavi Rural constituency twice in 2008 and 2013, told HT that retaining the power is important to the party, for which it invited leaders from Maharashtra to campaign in Maratha belts in the state.

“Winning one-two seat would not impact Maharashtra in its border dispute case at Supreme Court, for which Marathas in Maharashtra need not be worried,” he said.