Besides raising the hopes of debt-ridden farmers, the two-day Karnataka visit of Congress vice-president 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 Cabinet expansion.
As the Congress is seeking to make “divisive” politics of the BJP-led NDA government a major issue to arrest its sliding fortunes, 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.
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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. As more than 500 farmers ended their lives in the last six months, Mr. Gandhi will take out a padayatra in Renebennur in Haveri district on Saturday.
He will fly in a chopper to Mandya on Friday morning and console the family of a farmer who committed suicide.
He will also interact with farmers and students. On the same day, the Amethi MP would attend a Congress executive committee meeting after addressing the newly elected gram panchayat members at the Palace Grounds at 2 p.m.
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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, who will review the performance of the 30-month-old government.