Daijiworld Media Network - Dharwad (SP)

Dharwad, Feb 12: As part of BJP's much-touted 'slum stay' strategy that has been envisaged by party leaders as a technique to draw support for the party from slum dwellers, is showing signs of derailing because of controversies the scheme is attracting.

Jagadish Shettar, leader of the opposition in the state assembly and former chief minister, opted to stay in one of the slums overnight. But he did not choose stinking slums devoid of facilities located around Hubballi for this purpose.

Shettar, by opting to stay in a house at Chamundeshwari slum, Hubballi, rightly earned criticisms from his adversaries. Because, Chamundeshwari slum is known as a high-tech slum that has all the facilities of a city.

It is learnt that the house in which Shettar stayed was equipped with all modern facilities like 24-hour water supply, power connection, proper road, underground drainage connection etc. The programme of staying in slums was drawn to enable leaders to get on-hand experience of the prevailing conditions there, understand the problems of the people, and help to mitigate them. In case of Shettar, he chose to stay in a slum devoid of problems, although he had enough choices of slums suffering from myriad problems in his own Hubballi city.

Reportedly, a person, who recently crossed over to BJP, had arranged for the stay of Shettar at his home in Chamundeshwari slum.