All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi arrived in Karnataka on Friday for a two-day State visit.
Mr. Gandhi arrived at the Kempe Gowda International Airport at 10 a.m. and left to Mandya for interactions with debt-ridden farmers of the district. The district has recorded a highest number of suicides in the State.
The Amethi MP will be addressing the newly-elected GP members on the Bengaluru palace grounds at 2 pm.
Later in the evening, he will attend a Congress party’s executive committee meeting and hold consutations with senior leaders of the party, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara.
Here are highlights of his visit:
6.00 p.m. Mr. Gandhi requests Mr. Siddaramaiah to announce special package for farmers at meeting with farmers in Haveri on Saturday. ""The BJP is pitting Hindus against Muslims for electoral gains," he says.
5.10 p.m. The oldest gram panchayat vice-president, who is 102 years old, blesses Mr. Gandhi
4.30 p.m. Arrival in Bengaluru
Mr. Gandhi arrives at Palace Grounds to address newly-elected gram panchayat members. He is accompanied by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and leaders S.M. Krishna and G. Parameshwara
3.55 p.m. He leaves VC Farm after the interaction session, via helicopter to Bengaluru
3.30 p.m Mr. Gandhi interacts with students at VC Farm in Mandya
2.08 p.m. He returns to VC farm from Panalanahalli. His interaction session with progressive farmers and agricultural students will start in a few minutes.
1.50 p.m. The AICC vice-president reached Panakanahalli, met family members of the deceased farmer Mahesh
12.55 p.m. Mr. Gandhi issues a cheque amounting to Rs. 1 lakh to Lokesh's wife. Leaves Sanabada Koppalu.
12.45 p.m Rahul Gandhi reaches Sanabada Koppalu in Pandavapura taluk. Visits residence of farmer Lokesh, who committed suicide by consuming poison on Friday. Mr. Gandhi consoled the farmer's wife and family members, and assured them that the State government would come to their aid
11:50 am: Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene members are staging a demonstration in front of Sir M. Visvesvaraya Statue on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway for not inviting KRRS leaders to Rahul's interaction at VC Farm
Farmers at Panakanahalli are also staging a protest demonstration against Rahul Gandhi and State government against the anti- farmers policies of the government.
11: 30 am: At the last moment, Mr. Gandhi has changed his Mandya tour plan. He arrived at 10.45 a.m. to the Zonal Agricultural Research Centre (VC Farm) on the outskirts of Mandya with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara, former External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and others in a helicopter.
After meeting with the leaders for a minute, he headed towards Sanabada Koppalu in Pandavapura taluk to meet the family of Lokesh, who committed suicide yesterday.
10.00 a.m. AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and party leaders at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.
| » | Rahul Gandhi is expected to infuse confidence into party cadres to fight the upcoming elections to 25 seats of the Legislative Council and rural local bodies across the State. |
| » | The timing of Mr. Gandhi’s visit also assumes significance in the light of the much-delayed expansion of the Cabinet. |
| » | Mr. Gandhi’s major public outreach plan is aimed at galvanising the party cadres and broadening the party base among the farming community ahead of elections to zilla and taluk panchayats early next year. |
| » | In the wake of the growing demand for waiver of crop loans from farmers and the Opposition, Mr. Gandhi is expected to give some suggestions to the Siddaramaiah government. |
| » | Several ministerial aspirants, unhappy with Chief Minister for postponing the Cabinet expansion for one reason or the other, are expected to place their grievances before Mr. Gandhi. |
| » | Mr. Gandhi is expected to advice the top brass on issues to focus on during the forthcoming elections to the Legislative Council. |
