Bengaluru: A four-day orientation camp for BJP legislators and functionaries which commenced on Thursday witnessed party leaders putting their heads together to strengthen the organisation and also working out its strategy for the 2018 Assembly polls.

As many as 750 party workers, including MPs, MLAs, MLCs, office-bearers, state executive committees, morcha leaders, are attending the orientation camp which also doubles up as a strategy meeting for the party. The camp is being held at a star hotel on Hosur Road.

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, Union Minister Ananth Kumar and other senior leaders, including Jagadish Shettar, R Ashoka and Shobha Karandlaje, are camping at the event venue and participating in all the deliberations. The itinerary includes sessions on ideology of the party, its history, role of the party workers, use of social media and the Internet, among others.

Party sources said it is for the first time that a camp of such large scale is being organised by the state unit.

Ananth Kumar set the ball rolling by stating that the event marked the countdown for the 2018 Assembly polls for the state unit of the BJP. “There are 450 days to go for the polls. Our aim should be to come back to power in Karnataka and make Yeddyurappa the chief minister once again,” he said.

Kumar said the “success” of Narendra Modi model of governance would help the party win over the confidence of the voters. At the same time, the party should introspect on its ideological journey, organisational structure and challenges in the field of development.

Yeddyurappa said the party needs to strengthen its base and work towards coming back to power.

BJP leaders on Thursday dubbed the Siddaramaiah government as “arrogant” by deciding to go ahead with Tipu Jayanti celebrations and the steel flyover project in Bengaluru, despite protests.

The party, along with Sangh Parivar, will hold protests in all the district headquarters on November 8, to protest against Tipu Jayanti.

B S Yeddyurappa said Siddaramaiah has been constantly taking anti-people decisions, while Ananth Kumar said the government’s decisions to go ahead with the division of the BBMP was another indication of its “arrogance”.

Most of the state leaders are attending the camp. However, senior leader K S Eshwarappa, who had been associating himself with the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade, was not present. When contacted by DH, Eshwarappa said, “There are several family events lined up for the next three days in my home district Shivamogga. I have taken permission from the party leadership for not attending the camp.”
Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had not made it to the programme as he has gone abroad.