BJP campaign to kick off with ratha yatra

BENGALURU: After a truncated motorcycle rally to Mangaluru, the BJP will virtually kick of the election campaign with a ratha yatra from November 2 as part of its Nava Karnataka Parivarthana event. It will culminate in a public function in Bengaluru on January 2018. The ratha yatra will have a specific agenda of consolidating the Lingayat vote-bank which is being eyed by the Congress too. As per the preliminary meeting, the party has sought the national leadership's assent for starting the ratha yatra with the blessings of Siddaganga Mutt seer Swami Shivakumar in Tumakuru who commands a huge following in the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community.

Alternatively, the BJP plans to assemble at the

Bangalore International Exhibition Centre

and then move to Tumakuru to seek the seer's blessings. According to party sources, an order for two rathas has been placed with a private event management company. The ratha is likely to be similar to the one used by former deputy prime minister L K Advani in September 1990.

“There will be seating arrangement in the ratha for the dignitaries and an opening on top for making speeches. It'll have state-of-the-art speakers so that people at least 4km ahead will know the ratha is arriving,“ said a party member.

The inaugural event will see party national president Amit Shah presiding over it, with PM Narendra Modi likely to attend.