Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Mar 3: As per certain sources, BJP is preparing to deliver a telling blow to the Congress in the form of crossing over of four Congress MLAs into its fold before the Lok Sabha election. Party sources say that during the rally which would be organised at Kalaburagi on March 6, which will be addressed by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, BJP will stage this coup. It is said that just before the rally, these MLAs will desert the Congress.

Out of the four, there is no doubt that Chincholi MLA, Dr Umesh Jadhav, will bid adieu to Congress party. BJP plans to field him opposite Mallikarjun Kharge in Kalaburagi Lok Sabha constituency. BJP feels that engineering defections now will help it to conjure up necessary numbers in the assembly in future and it feels that as three of these MLAs belong to scheduled castes and tribes, it can give out a strong message that the downtrodden are distancing themselves from Kharge and Congress. The party wants to concentrate on Kalaburagi to morally undermine Kharge's stature.

BJP is taking steps to see that the rally at Kalaburagi would be held on a grand scale, and Modi will make a strong pitch for his party by seeking the defeat of veteran Congress leadaer, Mallikarjun Kharge. Backward classes form sizeable electorate here, and their leaders, Baburao Chinchansur, and Malikayya Guttedar, are with the BJP.

At the same time, Mallikarjun Kharge has been trying to strike an emotional chord of the electorate by reminding them that this would be his last attempt at the hustings. The proposed rally has kicked up lot of interest. MLC and in-charge of BJP Kalaburagi Lok Sabha constituency, Ravikumar, has been supervising arrangements.