Karnataka assembly session called off as Congress MLAs attend meeting called by Rahul Gandhi

Bengaluru: Today's session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly was reportedly called off as ruling Congress MLAs rushed to attend a crucial meet called by AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi who had come here to re-launch the 'National Herald' newspaper, which was founded by former prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders from New Delhi had come to Bengaluru to attend a programme organised for the release of 'National Herald’s' commemorative publication “India at a Crossroads: 70 years of Independence”.

Since most of the Congress MLAs, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, were there to attend the newspaper's re-launch, the entire session of the state assembly had to be called off.

Besides the launch, Rahul Gandhi chaired a general body meeting of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee at Jnana Jyothi Auditorium at 3 pm, which was why today's session of the state assembly had to be called off for a day.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) G. Parameshwara, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka KV Venugopal and over 1,500 members of the general body of the KPCC attended the meeting. 

Besides KPCC office bearers, MPs, ministers, legislators, former legislators, zilla panchayat chiefs, block, taluk and district office bearers were also in attendance.

This was Rahul Gandhi's first visit to the Congress-ruled state after the party gave an extension Parameshwara as the KPCC president and appointed KC Venugopal as general secretary in-charge of the state.

During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi addressed the challenges facing the Congress, both at the national and state level, while rolling out a road map for a campaign to take on the Modi government’s “anti-people policies”.