Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 14: The BJP is set to launch the second phase of its Janakrosh Yatra from Nippani in Belagavi district on April 15, with the campaign aimed at protesting against the Congress-led Karnataka government’s policies on rising prices and alleged minority appeasement in tenders.
Addressing a press meet at the BJP’s state headquarters in Bengaluru, party MLC and Opposition Chief Whip N. Ravikumar said the choice of Nippani was symbolic, as it marks 100 years since Dr. B.R. Ambedkar visited the town. “A grand celebration is being planned alongside the launch,” he said.
The Janakrosh Yatra will then move to Belagavi on April 16. State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra, Opposition leader R. Ashoka, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, BJP MP and former CM Jagadish Shettar, and other senior leaders are slated to participate.
The yatra’s schedule has been slightly tweaked, with the Hubballi event pushed to April 28. Meanwhile, rallies will be held in Bagalkote and Vijayapura on April 17, and in Kalaburagi and Bidar on April 18. The third leg of the yatra is expected to start on April 21.
Vijayendra highlighted the scale of the first phase, noting that it covered nine districts and over 1,100 kilometers, mobilizing more than 50,000 party workers. “From Mysuru to Mangaluru, despite heavy rains, participation was massive. We saw 9,000 to 10,000 people in Mangaluru alone,” he said.
He also revealed that the yatra generated over 3.5 crore views on social media, significantly boosting public awareness of what the BJP calls the “anti-people policies” of the Congress government. “The ruling party is rattled and directionless,” he claimed.
Vijayendra took a swipe at the Congress's planned protest against the Centre on April 17, calling it a “hypocritical stunt.”
He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is beginning to grasp the reality behind his administration’s flagship welfare schemes. “The illusion of success around the guarantees is fading. People are not as convinced as the Congress thinks they are,” he added.