BJP President Amit Shah’s tour of the Mumbai-Karnataka districts which begins on Thursday, assumes significance as the party is yet to make a firm commitment on resolving the Mahadayi river water dispute and the issue of separate religion status to the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community.

Karnataka has been demanding additional allocation of waters of the Mahadayi to three parched districts — Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag — by constructing the Kalasa-Banduri Nala.

Goa, the lower riparian State, has been opposing river diversion and has moved the Inter-State Water Dispute Tribunal for resolution.

Given that the region is dominated by the Lingayat-Veerashaiva community, Shah’s tour is eagerly looked at as spelling out the BJP’s stand on the issue, after the Congress government in the State recently accorded it the status of a minority religion.

On his arrival at Hubballi, Shah will sit on a dharna against the Congress ‘divisive politics’. After the protest in Dharwad, Shah, accompanied by the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate party Karnataka President BS Yeddyurappa are to travel to Abbigeri in Ron taluk to participate in the concluding ceremony of “Musthi Dhaanya Abhiyana”.

The Abhiyana is a month-long programme through which the BJP intends to connect to farmers across the State. Later, the BJP leaders will have meals prepared from cereals collected from the farmers and their families to express solidarity.

BJP State General Secretay and MP Shobha Karandlaje said Amit Shah is also scheduled to meet pontiffs including the head of Murusaaviramutt in Hubballi. He is also likely to visit memorials of Kittur Rani Chennamma and Sangolli Raayanna during his two-day visit.

“When it was in power in the State the party (BJP) had sanctioned grants to these memorials for heroes who fought the British, but Congress government in the state chose not to develop them, which is condemnable,” she said.

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