Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (DC)

Bengaluru, May 10: Less than 48 hours to go for the all-important Karnataka elections, a photo of screenshots of a WhatsApp chat, purportedly between BJP leaders C T Ravi and Shobha Karandlaje, is going viral on WhatsApp and other social media. The BJP leaders seem to be admitting defeat in the elections and blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not giving BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa a free hand.

In the viral message, C T Ravi's purported screenshot shows him asking his party leader Shobha regarding people's mindset ahead of assembly polls. In reply, Shobha says that the campaign rallies by PM Modi have not benefitted the BJP much. She also says that Modi who campaigned aggressively during 2014 Lok Sabha elections has lost 'josh' here in Karnataka.

In reply, C T Ravi is seen blaming the central leaders of controlling BJP's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa to which Shobha replied by saying, "I know, but BSY should not bow and bend this much. Amit Shah blunder has almost finished him off," probably referring to Amit Shah's slip-of-the-tongue wherein he termed Yeddyurappa government the most corrupt. She also tells him that the central leaders must respect a Lingayat leader like Yeddyurappa.

Further when Ravi asks about how many seats the BJP might win in the polls, Shobha says that it would be from 60 to 65 only and adds, 'but we need to stop that bugger crossing 100 at any cost', targeting Siddaramaiah. When he asks about the situation in Badami constituency, Shobha says that nothing is working in favour of BJP and tells him that they should stop the Congress from winning more than 100 seats, 'otherwise we will be ruined', she says.

The orgin of the viral message and its veracity could not be ascertained. If it turns out to be indeed true, it would be a big blow to the BJP's morale in the state.