BJP gives 'New Karnataka' a fresh lick of paint

BJP ponders earlier legacies and what to do now in Karnataka to oust the incumbent Congress govt

Six months before Karnataka was to vote, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was searching for a catalyst to recharge the cadre, unify squabbling state leaders, birth a slogan and shape a comprehensive outlook. It’s been wallowing in a welter of ideas that has resurrected the debate on populism versus pragmatism, as it has to pander to two important but incompatible constituencies. These being the freebie consuming masses and Bengaluru’s heavy hitters, craving for even roads, pristine lakes and unbroken power supply.

It was thought that the BJP had to discard the baggage- bearing B S Yeddyurappa, now its chief ministerial candidate.