Bommai set to face music at BJP meet

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT Bengaluru, Nov 3

As Chief Minister Basa- varaj Bommai braces for a barrage of criticism at the party national executive set to begin on November 6 on the failure to win the Han- gal bypoll, there are many who feel the blame should not be laid only at the CM’s doors and should be equal- ly apportioned among all senior leaders including Cabinet ministers. The BJP lost Hangal which it had won in 2018 to the Congress but wrested the Sindagi seat from the JD(S) with a whopping margin of 31, 000 votes.

What has left BJP leaders concerned is Bommai’s failure to win a seat in his home district, Haveri which has raised questions over the CM’s ability to lead the party to victory in the 2023 Assembly polls. Bommai has made it clear that the party went to polls under a collective leader- ship hinting that he alone should not be blamed for the loss. He was obviously re- ferring to those like Indus- tries Minister and Hangal poll in-charge Murugesh Nirani who was rarely found in the constituency, and Agriculture Minister B.C.Patil who kept away, miffed that he was not made poll in-charge. National President J.P. Nadda will review the party performance and come out with a route map to correct the mistakes, insiders said. After the National Execu- tive, BJP General Secretary Arun Singh is expected to arrive in Bengaluru for a dialogue with ministers on why they did not campaign wholeheartedly in Hangal.