Prime Minister Modi in Karnataka: Asks BJP to prep for elections in an impromptu huddle

Calls had gone out to senior party leaders on Thursday night informing them of Modi’s plans for a quick meeting.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai receives Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mangaluru on Friday, 2 September 2022. (Supplied)

Another BJP source indicated that the 15-minute meeting was a quick assessment on where the party stood in Karnataka as the Assembly election draws closer. The prime minister is said to have pulled up leaders from the state unit over lack of preparation for the election campaign and perception management.

Modi’s intervention comes at a time the Congress has been parading one show of strength after another and launching one campaign after another.

The prime minister’s assessment of perception management for the BJP in the state also comes at a time the Basavaraj Bommai-led government is facing one allegation of corruption after another — from the 40 percent commission allegation by government contractors to the police sub-inspector recruitment scam.

PM leaves out Yediyurappa’s name

While addressing his public meeting earlier in the evening, Modi conspicuously failed to acknowledge former chief minister and Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa, who was sharing the stage with him.

The prime minister began his speech by welcoming Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union cabinet ministers, and then quickly jumped to ministers and MLAs of Karnataka.

Despite Yediyurappa’s recent elevation to the BJP’s Parliamentary Board, the apparent “snub” did not go unnoticed in party circles.

“Whatever goodwill Yediyurappa had earned in the party was destroyed after he publicly backed the seer booked under POCSO. How will the party defend him?” asked a senior leader of the BJP with close ties to the central leadership.

The prime minister’s visit to Mangaluru also comes nearly a month after the BJP faced a severe backlash from its own cadres over the murder of Yuva Morcha member Praveen Nettaru. Modi’s visit, party leaders hope, will help assuage miffed party workers and enthuse them to work for the elections.

Modi calls for green growth in Mangaluru

After inaugurating several projects claimed to cost more than ₹3,700 crore, the prime minister, in his public meeting, pushed for “green growth”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in Mangaluru, on 2 September 2022. (Supplied)

“India is moving towards green goals. We have to work towards green growth and green jobs. The Union government is prioritising this in all the schemes it is undertaking. Refineries are dependent on river water, but with desalination plants, dependence on river water will decrease,” Modi said.

The reference came from the inauguration of two projects undertaken by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited: the BS VI Upgradation Project and  Sea Water Desalination Plant.

The BS VI Upgradation Project, estimated to cost around ₹1,830 crore, aims to facilitate the production of ultra-pure environment friendly BS-VI grade fuel (with sulphur content less than 10 PPM). The Sea Water Desalination Plant, set up at a cost of around ₹680 crore, will help reduce dependency on fresh water and ensure regular supply of hydrocarbons and petrochemicals throughout the year, according to a PMO statement.

The prime minister arrived in Karnataka after commissioning INS Vikrant — India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier.

After his “double-engine growth” (BJP governments at the Centre and the state) pitch in Kerala on Thursday, Modi reiterated it — with the twist that it was already powering Karnataka.

“I am happy that Karnataka’s double-engine government is working at great speeds to meet people’s needs and aspirations,” Modi said, even as the Congress in Karnataka ran a social media campaign all day on Friday raising questions over BJP’s unfulfilled promises.