Amit Shah approves Karnataka cabinet expansion, tells BJP to focus on Old Mysore region

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru,
Dec
31:
With
a
focus
on
the
upcoming
Karnataka
elections,
BJP
leader,
Amit
Shah
has
told
party
leaders
to
focus
on
the
Old
Mysore
regions
ahead
of
the
elections.

The
BJP
is
considered
to
be
weak
in
this
region
and
Shah
made
it
clear
that
for
the
party
to
be
the
number
one
party
in
the
election,
then
there
has
be
a
lot
of
focus
on
this
part
of
the
state.
The
region
is
dominated
by
the
Vokkaliga
community
and
the
BJP
has
been
drawing
most
of
its
votes
from
the
Lingayat
community.

During
the
deliberations,
Shah
ruled
out
the
possibility
of
the
BJP
entering
into
an
understanding
with
any
other
party,
including
the
Janata
Dal
(S).

Amit
Shah
in
Mandya,
as
BJP
focuses
on
Old
Mysuru
region
for
2023
polls

The
meeting
held
by
Shah
lasted
three
hours
and
the
main
part
of
the
agenda
was
the
focus
on
the
Old
Mysore
region.
During
the
meeting,
ministers,
former
ministers,
MLAs,
ex-MLAs
and
other
leaders
from
the
party
gave
their
inputs
to
the
senior
BJP
leader
who
is
also
India’s
Home
Minister.

The
Old
Mysore
region
comprises
Mandya,
Msysuru,
Hassan,
Tumakuru,
Chamrajanagar,
Bengaluru
Rural,
Kolar
and
Chikkaballapur
among
others.

During
the
meeting
Shah
said
that
the
dominance
of
the
Congress
and
JD(S)
must
end
in
the
Old
Mysore
region
for
the
BJP
to
emerge
as
the
largest
party.
Shah
said
he
would
be
visiting
Karnataka
once
again
next
month.

Meanwhile

reports
said
that
Shah
had
given
the
go
ahead
to
the
much
anticipated
Cabinet
expansion
in
the
state.
This
would
accommodate
disgruntled
leaders
such
as
K
S
Eswarappa
and
Ramesh
Karkiholi
just
ahead
of
the
elections
scheduled
for
2023.

Profits
from
drugs
are
being
utilised
for
terrorism:
Amit
Shah

Shah
had
on
Friday
hit
out
at
the
Congress
and
said
that
Siddaramaiah
who
served
as
chief
minister
of
the
state
between
2013
and
2018
withdrew
cases
against
the
now
banned
Islamist
outfit
Popular
Front
of
India.
It
was
only
after
the
BJP
came
to
power
in
the
state
that
the
PFI
was
banned
and
its
leaders
arrested,
Shah
also
said.

He
further
added
that
the
JD(S)
and
Congress
have
been
given
many
changes.
This
time
the
Lotus
will
bloom
in
Mandya
and
Mysuru.