‘Firebrand’ Ravi likely to take over as new state BJP President

By Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: With hardly two months left forth end of term of Nalinkumar Kateel as president of the Karnataka unit of BJP, the high command is seriously looking at a leader who can practice and preach the hard hindutva that could help in the polarisation of Hindu votes in the state.

The one person who has been close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National President JP Nadda and BJP National Organisation Secretary BL Santosh, has been BJP National General Secretary and in charge of Tamil Nadu, CT Ravi, fits the bill best.

He has all the qualities that the BJP was looking for as hardly one year is left for the crucial Assembly elections. Among the existing lot of BJP leaders, Ravi stands out as the one who can give back to the opposition in the same coin. His caustic reaction to opposition parties has caught the attention of the high command.

Why Ravi?
According to party sources, the BJP is planning to make an entry into the strong bastion of the Vokkaliga belt. Ravi belongs to the powerful Lingayat community that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar belongs to. Since there is no dearth of Lingayat leaders in the BJP, the party is looking for a relatively young face and a Vokkaliga leader who can woo voters of Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Ramanagar, Tumkur, Chikballapur and Chitradurga.

The party feels that Ravi fits this bill best, and it is he who can put up a bold fight in the elections scheduled for next year.

According to sources, unlike incumbent Kateel, Ravi enjoys a good connect with the masses because of the punch dialogues he delivers, his frontal attack of Congress leaders, speech with a tinge of patriotism and nationalism and because he is a strong defender of the Modi government programmes. Kateel, with the Dakshina Kannada dialect, was unable to impress crowds with his speech.

Whereas Ravi, the MLA from Chikmagalur, has been at the forefront of Dattamaala Abhiyan for the last many years. He conducts the Dattamaala yatra every year in which youths from all over the state participate. Through this campaign, he has made Chikmagalur district a stronghold of the saffron party. Delhi leaders who wanted the party to grow in the terrains of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) have liked this about him.

The sources pointed out that the party wanted to make a Lingayat Kateel’s successor, but have now changed their mind.

They believe a Vokkaliga can make inroads in that terrain.

Till recently, the name of Udupi-Chikmagalur MP and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje was making the rounds for the State BJP president’s post. But now the party is contemplating making Ravi the new president.

The name of Vijayapura City MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal was struck off in the first round because of his loose talks every now and then against the state leaders.

In all probability, the name of Ravi will be announced in the next few weeks, a source said.