BENGALURU: With the scrutiny of nomination papers ending, major political parties are set to launch their campaign blitzkrieg for the Assembly polls in the state. To start with, the BJP and Congress are set to make Basava Jayanti on Sunday a special event this time to woo the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community in their favour.
CM Basavaraj Bommai will garland the statue of Basaveshwara in the city before launching BJP’s roadshow at Yelahanka. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is on a two-day visit to Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Belagavi, Gadag and Haveri districts, considered a Lingayat heartland. He will take part in the Basava Jayanti celebrations at Kudalasangama.
His visit will be a morale booster to a section of the community and its leaders, including former CM Jagadish Shettar and former DCM Laxman Savadi, who have joined Congress, according to political pundits.
It is an attempt to woo the community which has drifted away from the Congress after the “disgraceful” removal of Veerendra Patil as CM in 1990 by the then PM Rajiv Gandhi, they said. After the Kudalasangama event, Rahul will take part in a roadshow at Vijayapura.
On Monday, he will interact with sugarcane farmers at Ramdurg. He will participate in “Yuva Samvad” in Gadag before taking part in a rally in Hangal. The CM will address rallies in Yelahanka, Doddaballapura, Nelamangala, Tumakuru, Gubbi, Chikkanayakanahalli, Tiptur, Arasikere, Kadur and Davanagere.
RAHUL HOMELESS
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (pic) handing over the keys of his 12, Tughlak Lane bungalow to a CPWD official after vacating the bungalow following his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP, in New Delhi on Saturday
“I will stay with the former Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) at 10, Janpath for some time and then find some other way,” he said