Rahul Gandhi to arrive in Karnataka for campaigning, will visit temples and dargahs too

Bengaluru/New Delhi: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will be on a three-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka again from Saturday after 10 days of his first visit to the state since becoming party chief.

According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi will tour Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot and Dharwad districts in the state's northwest during the second leg of his 3-day visit to Karnataka as part of party's 'Jana Ashirwada Yatra' to seek blessings of the people for the upcoming assembly polls.

''Congress president is expected to address public meetings, an only women rally, hold interaction with various groups and also flag off a marathon during the visit,'' party's state unit president G. Parameshwara said.

''Rahul is also expected to travel by bus and also likely to make visits to temples and dargahs in the next round of the campaigning too," Parameshwara added.

State assembly elections are due to be held in late April or early May.

Rahul Gandhi had visited the state for the first time after becoming party chief in December from February 10-13, covering Koppal, Ballari, Raichur, Yadigir, Kalaburgi and Bidar districts in the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region in four days.

Besides Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, party's state unit working president Dinesh Gundu Rao, MPs and MLAs will accompany him.

"Gandhi will also meet businessmen and youth for feedback about our government's performance during the last 5 years and their expectations from our party in the next five years," said Parameshwara.

Gandhi is also like to visit temples, dargahs at Saundatti, Gudachi and Vijapaura.

According to Congress officials in Delhi, on the first day of his visit, Gandhi will hold a public meeting at Athani in Belgaum.

The Gandhi scion will attend another programme "Sthree Shakti Samavesh" (women's rally) at a public meeting ground in Tikota of Bijapur district, followed by two other programmes in the district on Saturday.

Gandhi will also go to Bagalkot and Dharwad districts, where he will meet various groups in the state and address public meetings, they said.