Following the death of senior leader and Minister Umesh Katti, Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Janotsava’ rally, which was scheduled for Thursday in Doddaballapura to mark the party’s three years in power and the Basavaraj Bommai-led government’s one year in office, has been postponed to September 11.
This is the third time the event, which was scheduled to be attended by BJP national president JP Nadda, has been postponed.
“Due to the untimely demise of Minister Umesh Katti, the Janotsava that was scheduled to be held on September 8 at Doddaballapura has been postponed to September 11,” said BJP’s Karnataka unit vice-president Nirmal Kumar Surana.
It was originally planned to be held at Doddaballapura on July 28 (the anniversary of Bommai’s one year in office). However, the Chief Minister had to cancel the rally following the July 26 murder of BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Nettar in the Dakshina Kannada district.
The event was then scheduled for August 28 but postponed to September 08 since it would have conflicted with the Gowri-Ganesha festival on August 30-31, and there were concerns about participation.
The party plans to hold six ‘Janotsava’ rallies this month and in October throughout Karnataka.
In the run-up to the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections, the event will be seen as a show of strength by the ruling party.
Following senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah’s massive 75th birthday bash in Davangere last month and the Opposition party’s mega ‘Freedom March’ in Bengaluru on August 15, the BJP has been under pressure from leaders from various parts of the state to hold large-scale events.
It is expected that the Karnataka Assembly Elections will be held in March or April next year.
