Amit Shah approves Karnataka cabinet expansion, tells BJP to focus on Old Mysore region

Bengaluru, Dec 31: With a focus on the upcoming Karnataka elections, BJP leader, Amit Shah has told party leaders to focus on the Old Mysore regions ahead of the elections.

The BJP is considered to be weak in this region and Shah made it clear that for the party to be the number one party in the election, then there has be a lot of focus on this part of the state. The region is dominated by the Vokkaliga community and the BJP has been drawing most of its votes from the Lingayat community.

During the deliberations, Shah ruled out the possibility of the BJP entering into an understanding with any other party, including the Janata Dal (S).

The meeting held by Shah lasted three hours and the main part of the agenda was the focus on the Old Mysore region. During the meeting, ministers, former ministers, MLAs, ex-MLAs and other leaders from the party gave their inputs to the senior BJP leader who is also India's Home Minister.

The Old Mysore region comprises Mandya, Msysuru, Hassan, Tumakuru, Chamrajanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar and Chikkaballapur among others.

During the meeting Shah said that the dominance of the Congress and JD(S) must end in the Old Mysore region for the BJP to emerge as the largest party. Shah said he would be visiting Karnataka once again next month.

Meanwhile reports said that Shah had given the go ahead to the much anticipated Cabinet expansion in the state. This would accommodate disgruntled leaders such as K S Eswarappa and Ramesh Karkiholi just ahead of the elections scheduled for 2023.

Shah had on Friday hit out at the Congress and said that Siddaramaiah who served as chief minister of the state between 2013 and 2018 withdrew cases against the now banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India. It was only after the BJP came to power in the state that the PFI was banned and its leaders arrested, Shah also said.

He further added that the JD(S) and Congress have been given many changes. This time the Lotus will bloom in Mandya and Mysuru.

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