For the participants in the long march from Bidar to Bangalore undertaken by former minister B Sreeramulu, it is more a foodathon than a walkathon.

The supporters, accompanying Sriramulu on his padayatra, which began at Basavakalyan in Bidar district on April 24 and will end in Bangalore on June 17, are getting to enjoy mouth-watering dishes.

The sweets and savouries include rave unde, kobbari vade, Belgaum kunda and holige prepared from groundnuts, sev and Dharwad peda as the padayatris make their way through the north Karnataka districts suffering from an acute drought.

To beat the blazing hot summer, the organisers have made arrangements to provide unlimited supply of bottled water to the entourage of the former minister who left the BJP to launch Badava Shramika Raitha (BSR) Congress party.

Vehicles following the padayatris carry the ready-to-eat snacks, and a team of expert cooks from Bangalore to prepare hot meals for the leader as well as his followers and support staff, wherever they make a halt.

A BSR activist said a major caterer was given a contract for Rs 54 lakh, for arranging food for the marchers. Supporters of Sriramulu are also carrying with them jowar rotis supplied
by party units in different districts.

The support staff for the march carry cutouts and flexes of Sriramulu for erecting them on road dividers and vantages points in villages or towns en route. As soon as the public meeting gets over at a particular place, they dismantle the publicity material, pack them and transport in lorries to the next village or town.

The padayatra assumes significance not just because of the sheer length of the walkathon - Sriramulu and his aides are covering a staggering 941 km - but also because of the large-scale logistical arrangements made to make it a success.