Coastal Karnataka is set to witness high-voltage political activities with Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah visiting Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts from Monday to Wednesday and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the first week of March.
Stakes are high for both the national parties in the region as Congress is keen on increasing its strength, while the BJP is making every effort to regain lost ground. The parties appear keen on highlighting who is more communal keeping aside the development agenda.
Mr. Shah will arrive in Mangaluru on Monday evening and proceed to Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, before which he will attend a party workers’ meet at Malavoor near Mangaluru International Airport. On Tuesday morning, he will address students of Vivekananda Vidyavardhaka Sangha institutions at Puttur, of which RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat is president.
His next stop will be in Bantwal, the constituency of Minister B. Ramanath Rai which recently witnessed sporadic communal disturbances. Mr. Shah will address Navashakthi convention of Belthangady, Bantwal and Puttur Assembly constituencies here. After visiting the family members of Deepak Rao, who was murdered in Surathkal on January 3, Mr. Shah will travel to Udupi to address a mega fishermen convention the same evening after visiting Sri Krishna Mutt and Pejawar seers.
In the forenoon, he will meet social media heads of the party and BJP Shakti Kendra heads of six districts. Leaving Udupi in the afternoon, he will visit the family of Paresh Mestha, who died under mysterious circumstances at Honnavar, attend Navashakti convention at Kumta and visit Marikamba Temple at Sirsi before leaving for Hubballi.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gandhi will make a whirlwind tour of the coastal districts during March first week. Road-shows, public meetings, visiting temples and other religious centres are scheduled during his visit, according to party sources. His programme details are yet to be finalised.
