Karnataka: BJP’s dependency on PM Modi very visible in his rallies

The Prime Minister's rally in Karnataka drew a mammoth response and it only went on to show how dependant the party is on him to win the May 10 elections.

A sea of humanity descended upon as the PM held rallies in Karnataka. On expected lines, PM Modi hit back at the Congress on the 'poisonous snake' comment.

Congress chief Malikarjun Kharge had referred to the PM as a snake. In response to this the PM high back and said that he gladly accepts the comment. 'The snake is the charm of Lord Shiva's neck. Even if the statement was meant to abuse me, I accept being called a snake as this means I am the garland around peoples' necks," the PM said.

The enthusiasm around the BJP supporters was visible on the ground. Several 'karyakartas' with whom OneIndia spoke said that a PM's rally always boosts them. Even during the 2018 campaign, the PM lifted our spirits and this makes us very enthusiastic to work, another said.

PM Modi will hold many more roadshows and rallies in the state before electioneering concludes. He will be for more rallies in the state and would wind up his campaign on May 7.

At his rally in Channapatana, which is a Vokkaliga heartland, the PM asked the people to vote in large numbers. He said this time the BJP should get a majority. When there is a BJP government, there is a double engine government, he also said.

The BJP's strategy this time around appears to be different. It is focusing both the Vokkaliga as well as the Lingayat votes, the two most powerful communities in the state. In three elections, when it was voted as the single largest party, it always fell short of a majority. This was largely to do with the fact that the party had depended heavily on the Lingayat votes. This time around it is focusing its resources across the state with the aim of becoming the majority party.

There has also been talk that the JD(S) may end up playing the kingmaker as it has always done in the past. The PM however made it clear that the BJP will not ally with any party. He referred to the JD(S) as a B-team of the Congress. He said that every vote for the JD(S) would mean a vote for an unstable government in the state.

There is speculation rife in Karnataka that in case of a hung assembly, the Congress and JD(S) may opt for a tie up as was the case in 2018. Both parties have however denied any such possibility.

The PM addressed this issue and said that the Congress and JD(S) are making a show of opposing each other. But when the elections got over in 2018, the two parties tied up and formed the government, the PM said.

For the BJP, Karnataka is an important state as it is the only state in South where it is in power and has been in power.