Bus Yatra: Siddaramaiah for north, DK Shivakumar for south?
BENGALURU: There is a buzz within Congress that during the upcoming Bus Yatra across the state ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, opposition leader Siddaramaiah will tour northern districts, while KPCC president DK Shivakumar will pass through southern parts of the state. The party will soon hold a meeting, where national general secretary, Karnataka in-charge, Randeep Singh Surjewala and others will decide on the responsibility of each leader during the yatra, sources said.
KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed said the Bus Yatra, which will start in early December, will go through all districts and details will be worked out by the party leadership. Sources said some in the party suggested that Siddaramaiah be given the responsibility of North Karnataka, considering that he is a leader of backward classes, whose presence is large in those parts, and he is an MLA from Badami.
The leaders wanted Shivakumar to tour southern parts as he is an MLA from the area and is a Vokkaliga, who are numerically strong in the region, sources said. While AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders are aware of such a proposal, the final decision will be taken over the next few days, they said.
Saleem Ahmed said that party unity is important and both leaders should be together while travelling through districts. Earlier, some followers wanted Siddaramaiah alone to go on the bus yatra, but the party leadership decided that they both should do it.