Rahul to soft launch Congress’ Karnataka poll campaign

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's upcoming two-day visit to Karnataka on March 31 is set to witness strategy sessions and mapping election preparation in the Southern state ahead of a possibly advanced Karnataka assembly elections. While Congress insiders claim that the advancing of the poll is a move aimed at helping BJP, Gandhi's visit will be marked by his meeting with a range of Congress leaders and workers in the state, writes Amit Agnihotri for ETV Bharat.

New Delhi: Sensing that the ruling BJP may advance the assembly elections in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi’s two-day visit to the southern state starting March 31, will see the leader holding extensive strategy sessions and reviewing preparedness of the state team. Congress insiders claimed the state elections, due in 2023, maybe held along with Gujarat polls this year to give an advantage to the BJP, which has been accused by the opposition of trying to polarize the voters. During the two-day visit, Rahul is scheduled to review the party’s digital membership drive and hold detailed brainstorming sessions with a range of leaders, including MPs, MLAs, Youth Congress and Mahila Congress workers.

In the backdrop of the BJP’s recent attempts to raise issues like Hijab and Halal meat to appeal to the majority community, Rahul is also scheduled to visit the Siddaganga Mutt to mark the 115th birth anniversary of Sri Sri Shivakumara Mahaswami. In the past former prime ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul himself have visited the Siddaganga Mutt, widely regarded across the state. In a way, the visit of the former Congress chief would mark a launch of the party’s poll campaign.

For now, the Congress strategy is to let the BJP pursue its agenda but there is a concern that such a campaign might be impacting the image of the state globally. “The BJP has been trying to polarize the voters. We have information that the polls might be advanced to coincide with elections in Gujarat this year. But we are prepared for the polls,” Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview.

Shivakumar said that the attempted polarization would dent the image of the southern state in the long-term. “We have the highest number of private engineering and medical colleges. Bengaluru is known as a global IT hub. The world sees India through our state,” he said.

When asked how Congress plans to counter the BJP in the state, the state unit chief said, “Let them exhaust”, adding that, “the people of the state are wise and will see through such propaganda.” Yet, the opposition party wants to have a well-coordinated strategy to take on the saffron party. “A brainstorming session will be held in the second week to discuss such issues and ways to counter them,” said Shivakumar.

Apart from taking on the BJP, Rahul’s visit is also expected to unite the camps of both DK and CLP leader K Siddaramaiah so that the Congress is able to present a picture of unity, especially in the wake of the recent poll losses in five states.