NEW YORK: Several community organizations in New York celebrated the recent victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the southern Indian state Karnataka’s Assembly polls.

With the participation from Karnataka based organizations such as Kannada Koota, Bantara Yaane Naadavar Sangh (BANA), Konkani Sabha, and Sri Krishna Brindaavana, NJ, Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangh, International Center for Cultural Studies, Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) and other friendly organizations, at Durga Mandir Hall in Princeton, New Jersey, on June 28, the hall was packed to capacity.

The event started with Ganapathi homa for removal of all obstacles in the all round development and progress of Karnataka and India and for further rapid growth of BJP, performed by the party volunteers and leaders of various organizations followed by musical performances of Veena vadan, Bharatnatyam, recital of Carnatic vocal and Bhavgeeth, by talented artists from Karnataka. Ram Kamath, one of the key organizers of this event, described the purpose and significance of BJP’s victory in the first southern state of India.

He spoke in Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Hindi and English and shared his election campaign experiences in Karnataka and explained the effect of door-to-door campaigning by BJP workers. Kamath expressed confidence in the leadership of Yediyurappa as the new chief minister of the state.

Speaking on the occasion, RP Singh, Joint Secretary of OFBJP and National coordinator of Kalash Poojan Yatra in USA, brought in the Kalash, which came from India, containing soil from the places where the freedom fighters of the War of Independence of 1857 were either born or sacrificed their lives.

The kalash yatra was organized to commemorate the completion of 150 years of the start of the fight for India’s freedom in 1857. The audience paid tributes to the Kalash by offering flowers and observed 57 seconds silence to mark the solemn occasion.