BJP confident of bagging 20 seats in state

With words reminiscent of Niccolo Machiavelli, Shobha Karandlaje, Karnataka’s minister for rural development and panchayati raj, said, victory at any cost was the sole aim of the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. For this anything was fair.

Karandlaje, who is often looked upon as the next chief minister, was candid in admitting that the only principle that matters during polls is the sole aim of victory. The party’s aim, she said, is to increase its tally from 18 seats of the 28 seats it won during last elections. “This time we will win 20 seats,” said Karandalaje here on Wednesday.

On the dynastic politics, which BJP has always been critical about but which is showing up in the coming polls even in the BJP, she said, “It was winnability of the candidates that mattered. Where we have a strong candidate already, it will take time to build up a new candidate.” Over time, the issue can be dealt with, she added.

On allegations that there was some discomfort in the party as BJP had sought to field newcomers to the party, she said there was no difference of opinion over seats since the final decision was taken by the core committee.

The incidents of moral policing that have lately perturbed the state and which seemed to rattle even the BJP was partly blamed on the victims by her. But, she said, there is no need for moral policing since the police are already there. It was wrong for people to take the law into their own hands.

With summer setting in, the state is expected to face water shortage at a few places. For dealing with water shortage, she said, the state was setting up control rooms at zilla panchayats where the needy could call up and get drinking water delivered in tankers. She said, Rs 58 crore have been released to ease water shortage. Another Rs 218 crore were still with the government that it will use for dealing with water shortages. On the power shortages, she said, the state has a kitty of Rs 500 crore for buying power from whereever it can buy.