BENGALURU : The Union Home Minister Amit Shah's second visit to the southern state of Karnataka on 3 May, only a little over a month after his previous visit has generated significant buzz of a probable change in leadership for the Karnataka Government.
Karnataka is set to go into Assembly elections in 2023. The ruling BJP camp here has vowed to win 150 seats in the 224 member House. The Basavaraj Bommai led Karnataka government is under constant pressure to rejig or expand the cabinet.
Earlier, BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh had said that the party's strength lies in the induction of new faces. However, a news agency PTI report had cited a senior BJP functionary saying that too much was being read into the BJP national secretary's statement. He further stated that the BJP is unlikely to to replace Basavaraj Bommai who took the chief minister's seat last year after BS Yediyurappa stepped down from the post.
Yediyurappa too dismissed such speculations, saying Bommai is doing a "good job."
The Union Home Minister's visit to Karnataka comes days after the state government has come under scanner for a number of issues. The BJP ruled state has witnessed communal flare ups, commission allegations against the government, resignation of senior minister KS Eshwarappa following the alleged suicide of a contractor naming him, and a scam in the recruitment of police sub-inspectors among others in the past few weeks.
These issues have invoked strengthened Opposition criticism in the state and on occasions, have drawn national attention too.
During Shah's April visit, he had attended the state BJP core committee meeting, during which the target was set and discussions were held on induction of leaders from other political parties ahead of elections, and strengthening the organisation.
On his upcoming trip, Shah is likely to meet senior party leaders, including Bommai and Yediyurappa among others, and assess the preparations by the party for the upcoming Assembly polls.
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"He (Shah) is coming, I will be meeting him. He will try to know about the political situation in the state. As state elections are ahead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah have decided to give priority to Karnataka. He is likely to give suggestions on reaching the 150-seat target that we have set for the next assembly polls," Yediyurappa told reporters in Shivamogga.
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