Congress to take out Karavali Malnad Dhwani Yatra from February 5

All-India Congress Committee general secretary and Karnataka in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala at a press conference in Mangaluru on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH

Following the Praja Dhwani Yatra, the Congress will take out Karavali Malnad Dhwani Yatra between February 5 and March 10, to enlighten people on the development projects that the party will implement if it comes to power in the coming Assembly elections in the State.

Randeep Singh Surjewala, All-India Congress Committee general secretary and Karnataka in charge, told reporters here on Wednesday that the proposed yatra will cover all 26 Assembly constituencies of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu districts.

The first phase of the yatra which will start from Sullia on February 5 will be till February 9.

After a break for the State Legislature session, the second phase of the yatra will resume and will be held between February 16 and March 10.

Apart from the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council B. K. Hariprasad, other leaders namely R.V. Deshpande, Vinay Kumar Sorake, and B. Ramanath Rai will take part in the yatra.

“We will enlighten people on the assurances that we have made for the people of the region. More assurances will be made during the yatra and all of them will be enforced if our government comes to power in the State.”

Through these yatras, Mr. Surjewala said, the party will build a positive narrative of development of the State and this will be in stark contrast to the classical divide and rule policy of the Bharatiya Janata Party ruling at the Centre and the State.

The Congress, he said, believed that harmony will propel the country forward. “We will continue with our development agenda and this right cause will always win,” he said, while criticising the BJP for, what he said, pursuing communal agenda and hatemongering to garner voters.

The ruling BJP has the weakest Chief Minister in the form of Basavaraj Bommai and the government has failed to fulfil 95% of the promises that have been made, he alleged.

On the reluctance of other party representatives to take part in the conclusion of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar on January 26, Mr. Surjewala said the yatra was led by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi to highlight issues of inflation, communal politics, and other burning issues. “We cannot expect all parties to agree to issues that Mr. Gandhi has raised,” he said.