The Congress is set to repeat history by kicking off its election campaign for the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections from Ballari district on Saturday. Congress president Rahul Gandhi will begin his four-day campaign covering Hyderabad Karnataka region from Hosapete on Saturday.
The choice of the place to launch the campaign is significant on two counts. First, in 1999, the immediate past president of the Congress, Sonia Gandhi, contested her maiden election from the Bellary Lok Sabha seat. After defeating BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, she opted for Amethi and gave up the Ballari seat. Second, on August 9, 2010, Ballari was swarmed by Congressmen, who walked 320 km in protest against illegal mining, particularly by the Reddy brothers. The Congress was able to regain much of the lost ground in the district, which was dominated by the BJP earlier. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was then the Leader of the Opposition, had led the padayatra from Bengaluru to Ballari.
Picture of contrasts
In contrast to 2013, B.S. Anand Singh and B. Nagendra, who were elected on BJP ticket in 2013 from Vijayanagar and Kudiligi constituencies respectively, have now switched loyalties to the Congress. Mr. Nagendra, a relative of BJP MP B. Sriramulu, was a close associate of the Reddy brothers.
Of the nine constituencies in the district, the Congress had won five. The party has gained a upper hand with Mr. Singh’s entry. Mr. Nagendra and JD(S) MLA Bheema Naik are expected to join the Congress soon, sources in the party said.
On the other hand, the Reddy brothers, who brought Ballari district to limelight at the national level for wrong reasons through their alleged involvement in illegal mining, are not able to exercise their hitherto control. This has come as an added advantage for the Congress.
However, these new entries into the party have also raised questions about the commitment of the Congress to the illegal mining issue, which was a major poll plank in 2013. Mr. Singh and Mr. Nagendra are themselves accused in the mining scam. Congress insiders in the local unit admit that these inductions will take the edge off the party’s repeated attacks on the BJP that it nurtured the illegal mining lobby in the State.
Tour programme
On Saturday, Mr. Gandhi will inaugurate a convention and later address party workers at Hosapete. He will criss-cross the Hyderabad Karnataka region for three days before concluding his tour in the northern district of Bidar on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Mr. Gandhi will tour Koppal and Raichur districts. On Monday, he will tour Kalaburagi — from where party stalwart and MP M. Mallikarjun Kharge hails — and Yadgiri districts. After addressing a public meeting in Bidar district on Tuesday, Mr. Gandhi will fly back to New Delhi.
Mr. Gandhi will also be visiting religious places — Huligamma temple, Gavi Siddeshwara Mutt, Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah, and Anubhava Mantapa, established by the 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara at Basavakalyan near Bidar.
