<p>Karnataka's Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday bash in the form of a massive public meeting at Davangere next month will be a formal Congress event.</p>.<p>So far, the birthday meeting on August 3 was positioned as an apolitical function to celebrate Siddaramaiah’s persona and career. This was seen as a show of strength and his camp’s attempt to project him as the natural choice for the chief minister’s job should the party win the 2023 Assembly elections.</p>.<p>At a meeting with party leaders and office-bearers, Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar announced that Siddaramaiah’s birthday will be a Congress function.</p>.<p>“Siddaramaiah is turning 75 years old. It has been decided that the birthday event will happen on the party’s platform. It won’t be a non-political event,” Shivakumar told reporters after the meeting.</p>.<p>Shivakumar said former AICC president Rahul Gandhi will attend the public meeting at Davangere. “I will also participate in the event along with other party leaders,” he said.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/it-isnt-political-claims-siddaramaiah-birthday-committee-1124112.html" target="_blank">It isn't political, claims Siddaramaiah birthday committee</a></strong></p>.<p>This decision came just days after Congress leaders organising Siddaramaiah’s birthday addressed a news conference to clarify that the Davangere event will be apolitical.</p>.<p>Reacting to this, Shivakumar said: “The Freedom March we’re organising on August 15 is an apolitical event. But, Siddaramaiah is our leader. Our leaders have formed a committee. All of us will participate.”</p>.<p>The Siddaramaiah-75 Amrut Mahotsava Committee has 62 people, mostly Congress leaders, as vice-presidents, general secretaries and organising secretaries. There’s a separate welcoming committee with 27 members.</p>.<p>“If the event is held independently, then the risk of it becoming a show of strength is high. The occasion is Siddaramaiah turning 75, which will be celebrated as a Congress event. It’s like a damage control measure,” a source close to Shivakumar said.</p>.<p><strong>Freedom March</strong></p>.<p>Shivakumar said a Freedom March will be held on August 15 for which the party will mobilise 75,000 people in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>The party has launched a website - www.freedommarch.in - on which citizens can register to participate.</p>.<p>“As part of the 75th year of independence, the AICC has directed us to hold foot marches (padayatras) in the state. In every district, a 75-km-long march will be held. These marches have to be held between August 1 and 10,” Shivakumar said.</p>.<p>The party has asked its leaders to reach out to freedom fighters or their families during the marches.</p>
<p>Karnataka's Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday bash in the form of a massive public meeting at Davangere next month will be a formal Congress event.</p>.<p>So far, the birthday meeting on August 3 was positioned as an apolitical function to celebrate Siddaramaiah’s persona and career. This was seen as a show of strength and his camp’s attempt to project him as the natural choice for the chief minister’s job should the party win the 2023 Assembly elections.</p>.<p>At a meeting with party leaders and office-bearers, Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar announced that Siddaramaiah’s birthday will be a Congress function.</p>.<p>“Siddaramaiah is turning 75 years old. It has been decided that the birthday event will happen on the party’s platform. It won’t be a non-political event,” Shivakumar told reporters after the meeting.</p>.<p>Shivakumar said former AICC president Rahul Gandhi will attend the public meeting at Davangere. “I will also participate in the event along with other party leaders,” he said.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/it-isnt-political-claims-siddaramaiah-birthday-committee-1124112.html" target="_blank">It isn't political, claims Siddaramaiah birthday committee</a></strong></p>.<p>This decision came just days after Congress leaders organising Siddaramaiah’s birthday addressed a news conference to clarify that the Davangere event will be apolitical.</p>.<p>Reacting to this, Shivakumar said: “The Freedom March we’re organising on August 15 is an apolitical event. But, Siddaramaiah is our leader. Our leaders have formed a committee. All of us will participate.”</p>.<p>The Siddaramaiah-75 Amrut Mahotsava Committee has 62 people, mostly Congress leaders, as vice-presidents, general secretaries and organising secretaries. There’s a separate welcoming committee with 27 members.</p>.<p>“If the event is held independently, then the risk of it becoming a show of strength is high. The occasion is Siddaramaiah turning 75, which will be celebrated as a Congress event. It’s like a damage control measure,” a source close to Shivakumar said.</p>.<p><strong>Freedom March</strong></p>.<p>Shivakumar said a Freedom March will be held on August 15 for which the party will mobilise 75,000 people in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>The party has launched a website - www.freedommarch.in - on which citizens can register to participate.</p>.<p>“As part of the 75th year of independence, the AICC has directed us to hold foot marches (padayatras) in the state. In every district, a 75-km-long march will be held. These marches have to be held between August 1 and 10,” Shivakumar said.</p>.<p>The party has asked its leaders to reach out to freedom fighters or their families during the marches.</p>
