Congress to hold Rahul rallies in saffron strongholds

In a bid to counter the BJP’s political yatra, the state Congress is keen on holding AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s public rally in Chikkamagaluru on November 19 and his other programmes in Karnataka on a grand scale.

The rally is being held to mark the birth centenary of the former prime minister, the late Indira Gandhi. On November 20, Rahul is scheduled to take part in a roadshow in Kadur and Birur. He will address another public meeting at Shivamogga the same day. On November 21, he will participate in a fishermen’s conference organised by the party in Kumta.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has lined up a series of meetings at its office in Bengaluru on Monday to discuss preparations for Rahul’s visit and arrangement for the rallies. State Congress president G Parameshwara will preside over the meetings and, all the legislators, office bearers and party functionaries from Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada and Chikkamagaluru districts have been asked to attend the meeting.

A party source said that the Rahul’s meetings and rallies have been deliberately chosen to be held in places considered to be a stronghold of the BJP, in a bid to send a political message to the saffron party.