BENGALURU: Determined to wrest power from the BJP after the Karnataka assembly polls, the state Congress is going all out to woo voters, especially women. With Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to kickstart the party’s campaign in Bengaluru on Monday, the state unit hopes to boost its reach to women who constitute over 2.5 crore, or 50 per cent of the total voters.
Priyanka will inaugurate the ‘Naa Nayaki’ (I am a leader) programme at Palace Grounds and unveil other poll-specific schemes for women. This also coincides with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai promising financial assistance to women to take care of their households in his budget, which he is likely to present on February 17. Over 10,000 women will take part in the event.
When AICC leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandh’s Bharat Jodo Yatra arrived in Karnataka, his mother Sonia Gandhi participated in the Old Mysuru Region. Priyanka was expected to be in Ballari for the samavesha, but she did not turn up.
Now, after a long gap, she will come to the state which is incidentally home to AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge as his prestige is at stake.
Cong women for more tickets
Karnataka Pradesh Mahila Congress president Dr Pushpa Amaranath, former ministers Umashri and Rani Satish said they will appeal to Priyanka to ensure that more women get party tickets in the upcoming assembly polls. “As many as 109 women have applied for 74 constituencies and we demand the tickets for thirty of them at least,” said Pushpa.