Amit Shah arrives in state on Thursday, may signal poll battle preparedness

BENGALURU: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is arriving in Karnataka on December 29, is expected to lay out the strategy for the Assembly election due next year and sound the poll bugle. While it is expected that the 2018 strategy will mostly be followed, there may be some tweaks to it.

Ahead of the last Assembly election, Shah had listed out a 10-point strategy for Page Pramukhs and booth-level workers. This time, there is much speculation as to who will take the lead if not for former chief minister B S Yediyurappa.

On December 30, Amit Shah will participate in programmes including party workers from Mandya and also take part in events orgainsed by the Co-operation Department in Bengaluru. The same evening, he will hold an important meeting of party leaders to discuss about the election.

On December 31, the party is organising a meeting of booth presidents and agents and all eyes will be on that meeting as what Shah will instruct them.

Interestingly, Amit Shah will start his tour from Old Mysuru region and will visit Mandya on January 30, considered a stronghold of the JD(S) and the Congress, and where the BJP does not have significant influence. He will be trying to make the party’s presence felt there which is expected to boost the confidence of workers.

If he agrees to the caste combinations and the winnable horses, the party could make significant impact in the region. This could have significant bearing on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the 2028 Assembly polls, political watchers say.