Film stars to campaign for grand old party

The Congress will add some glamour to the otherwise subdued campaign for the BBMP polls.  A host of film stars are set to woo the voters. Kannada actor and former MP, Ramya, is scheduled to campaign for the party in some areas, either on Thursday or Friday. She will also take part in roadshows in select wards, sources in the party said.

Congress MLC Jayamala, veteran actor and Women and Child Development Minister Umashree, actor and Bal Bhavan chairman Bhavana are also likely to join Ramya during the campaign. But it is not clear whether ‘Rebel Star’ and Housing Minister M H Ambareesh will campaign for the party. Ambareesh is upset with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for sidelining him in the party, the sources said.

The State Congress also plans to rope in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam actors. The KPCC has written to Tamil actor and party spokesperson Khushboo and Telugu superstar and former union minister Chiranjeevi, urging them to take part in the campaign in wards where Tamil and Telugu-speaking voters are in large numbers.

KPCC spokesperson J Huchappa said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised to take part in the campaign from August 14. Barring August 15, the chief minister is scheduled to take part in the campaign.

AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Digvijaya Singh will arrive in the City on Thursday evening.

He is scheduled to hold meetings with KPCC president G Parameshwara, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other leaders on Friday to take stock of the preparations for the polls.
The chief minister and the KPCC chief have convened a meeting of all the 198 candidates of the party on Thursday.