Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was here to take part in an official programme on Friday attended the Karnataka BJP's core committee meeting, and gathered information on the implementation of central schemes and organisational activities of the party in the poll-bound State.

The Prime Minister attending the core committee meeting gains significance particularly with the Assembly polls to be held sometime in March-April next year. The party is confident of being back in power in 2023 by winning at least 150 of the total 224 seats.

BJP's Karnataka unit vice-president Nirmal Kumar Surana, in a statement, said Modi attended the meeting on the request of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and the State president of the party Nalin Kumar Kateel.

The Prime Minister, at the meeting, learned about the organisational activities of the party and administrative matters related to the State government. He got the information from Bommai, Kateel and others, and made suggestions, Surana said.

According to sources, Modi is said to have asked the Bommai and those in the government to see to it that the welfare schemes of the central and the State governments reached the people, and party leaders to ensure that the workers are motivated and do not feel neglected.

During the meeting, discussions are also said to have taken place regarding the preparation for Assembly poll, with leaders in the State asking Modi to visit the State frequently in the run-up to the election.

Modi was in this coastal city this afternoon to inaugurate and lay the foundation for mechanisation and industrialisation projects worth around Rs 3,800 crore, and addressed a mega event.

The visit to Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district was significant after the recent murders including that of BJP activist Praveen Nettar near here, triggering protests and resignations by some of its Yuva Morcha members and workers across Karnataka, accusing the State government of not standing up to protect the lives of Hindu 'karyakartas'.

Several Hindutva ideologues and organisations, too, have expressed angst against the government on this.

Modi's visit has come at a time when the ruling BJP government in the State was facing corruption charges of "40 per cent commission" in public works by the State contractors' association, and also allegations of irregularities in several departments by certain organisations and Opposition parties, especially the Congress.