BENGALURU: In a historic first, the Congress and JD(S) will hold a joint rally on Sunday evening in Bengaluru, to send out a message: “We are united.” Congress national president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) national president HD Deve Gowda will address the rally at the BIEC, Tumakuru Road. Sources say the crowd could be over 5 lakh strong. They are expected to talk about the Rs 72,000 per annum dole for the poor, and IT raids during elections.
Rahul, who is scheduled to address Congress rallies in Vijayawada and Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh, will fly down to Bengaluru at 4:15pm. The rally will see the participation of leaders like Deputy CM G Parameshwara, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao and Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar from the Congress, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and others from the JD(S).
The Congress high command has, time and again, urged the local leadership comprising Siddaramaiah and others to maintain unity, and accordingly, the two parties had held their first joint media briefing on March 19. Political analyst B S Murthy said, “It is a historic rally for Karnataka politics. The two big parties are for the first time holding such a rally. This was unthinkable, but it has happened. It is clear that the partnership is working on the ground. The momentum is with the coalition partners.’’
While some mocked the formula for the coalition as “VAHINDA = Vokkaliga+ Ahinda (backward)”, others countered it saying they have “Lingayats, minorities, Brahmins and others who support the coalition, but what about them”? All legislators from the two parties from Bengaluru, Tumakuru and adjoining areas are expected to be present.
This joint rally will especially help the coalition in Bangalore Rural, Bangalore City, Tumkur, Kolar and Chikballapur constituencies.On Saturday afternoon, CM H D Kumaraswamy and his team personally visited the spot and took stock of the elaborate arrangements made there.