Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018: Jignesh Mevani to campaign against the BJP

Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani has decided to campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka.

Speaking at an event to mark the 56th birth anniversary of slain journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, Jignesh Mevani said, "An alliance of all mainstream political parties and concrete people's alliance should come together to defeat 'chaddidharis' in the state."

Bengalore Townhall at dusk with Gauri... happy birthday dear Gauri. seriously we miss you pic.twitter.com/YykuFg1kf6

— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) January 29, 2018

Mevani said he would tell the Dalits in the state not to vote for the BJP.

"In April, I'll be in Karnataka for two weeks, will tell 20% Dalits in the state that not even their 20 votes should go to them (BJP)," added Mevani.

Mevani recently made headlines after being denied permission to hold a Yuva Hunkar rally in New Delhi. Mevani was in the news earlier this year following the Bhima Khoregaon violence. After that, he went to Delhi to hold a rally that did not have police permission, but went ahead anyway.

At the beginning of the year, Mevani  appealed to  all the like-minded 'liberal organisations' to unite against BJP . "We have shown our strength in Gujarat and if we unite nationally, we can bring down BJP's number of seats to double digits in 2019 elections," Mevani said in Pune on Sunday.

Mevani was speaking at 'Elgar Parishad', a conference organised at Shanivarwada to mark 200 years of Bhima Koregaon battle fought between Peshwas and small army of British East India Company mostly consisting of Dalit soldiers. Along with Mevani, Rohit Vemula's mother Radhika Vemula, JNU student Umar Khalid, national president of Bhim army Vinay Ratan Singh also attended the conference which was being opposed by right wing groups.

Mentioning the opposition to the conference in his speech, Mevani said, "There were some people who were trying to scare me to stop me from coming to Pune. I want to tell all of them that when I did not get scared of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in Gujarat, you have long way to go to be able to scare me. I have torn apart the 56 inch chest in Gujarat."

With ANI Inputs