‘Focus on welfare schemes:’ BJP sets poll plank for its K’taka unit

A message to refrain from stoking controversies over issues that can be perceived to polarise the electorate was also relayed by BJP leadership to Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who was in the national capital for a two-day visitthis week, party functionaries aware of the details said.

The central leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has instructed its Karnataka unit to ensure that development and achievement of the state government in implementing social welfare schemes remain the main poll plank in the 2023 assembly elections.

The BJP central leadership has also given its nod for a reshuffle in the Basavaraj Bommai-led Karnataka cabinet to buck anti-incumbency. (PTI)

A message to refrain from stoking controversies over issues that can be perceived to polarise the electorate was also relayed to chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who was in the national capital for a two-day visitthis week, party functionaries aware of the details said.

“The central leadership is of the view that the party will not gain in the forthcoming elections if its focus remains on controversies and issues that seem to target minorities. This was also conveyed to the state leadership at a core committee meeting that was addressed by Union home minister Amit Shah last week,” one of the party functionaries added, asking not to be named.

Central leaders are of the view that the BJP’s return to power in the recent elections in four states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur – was largely on account of the welfare policies and the development work carried out by the respective state governments.

“There is a small constituency that wants the party to take a hardline and insist on banning hijab in schools and not make it mandatory to have halal-certified meat in institutions and restaurants. The impact of focussing on development outweighs the outcome of appeasing the sentiments of this small community,” a second functionary said on condition of anonymity.

While Muslims are upset over issues like hijab ban and halal certification, Christians too have been critical of the government over the anti-conversion bill and the lens on the functioning of churches ostensibly to check alleged illegal and coerced conversions, the functionary added.

Since Bommai took over as the state’s chief minister last year, the state has passed a controversial anti-conversion bill, issued an order effectively barring hijabs in schools in colleges, and quietly endorsed the campaign against halal meat as well as that against the use of loudspeakers in mosques. Through this period, several party leaders have made comments that have not gone down well with the central party leadership.

Bommai, who was in the national capital to discuss the upcoming ministerial reshuffle in the state, told reporters outside Parliament that as far as the loudspeakers in mosques are concerned, the government is only implementing a Karnataka high court order, issued on January 11, 2021. But there is a feeling in many sections of the party that many of the issues could have been handled better.

“The central leadership feels that the issue of hijabs not being allowed in schools should have been dealt with sensitively and not snowballed into a controversy. Now, with the issue being sub-judice, party leaders hope that the BJP  will not bear the brunt of public anger,” the Karnataka-based functionary cited above said.

On March 15, a full bench of the Karnataka high court declared that wearing of hijab is not mandatory in Islam. It upheld the ban on the headscarf imposed by the state government in schools and colleges through a February 5 executive order which led to massive protests and counter-protests across the state and in several other cities across the country. The order has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

The central leadership has also given its nod for a reshuffle in the state cabinet to buck anti-incumbency, a senior party leader in Delhi said on condition of anonymity. The central leadership would have preferred to have new faces in the council but given the caste arithmetic in the state, a “Gujarat-like change will not be carried out”, this person added .

Ahead ofthis year’s elections in Gujarat, the central leadership changed the chief minister and the entire council of ministers.

“The central leadership is keen on having leaders who are seen as inclusive and not prone to contentiousness,”the Delhi-based leader said.

A BJP leader in Karnataka said Shah was also averse to a suggestion to club the Karnataka elections with those in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat which are scheduled to be held later this year. The Union minister urged party workers to utilise the time to speed up the party’s expansion and preparations at the booth level, the leader said on condition of anonymity.

In the 2018 elections in the state, the BJP emerged the single largest party with 104 seats in the 224 member assembly, but it was an alliance of the Congress (80 seats) and the JD-S (37) that formed the government. However, in 2019, following a wave of defections from the Congress to the BJP, the latter formed the government under B S Yediyurappa. In July 2021, he stepped aside in favour of Bommai.