Cong will begin state-wide yatra from Belagavi: DKS

NT Correspondent

Belagavi: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar on Monday disclosed the details of the party’s state-wide yatra, which would begin on December 30, with the intention of covering all 224 Assembly constituencies. He added that the yatra would begin in Belagavi and would be undertaken through buses.

The Kanakapura MLA made the disclosure at a press conference in Belagavi after the conclusion of the first day of the winter Assembly session at Suvarna Soudha in the city. Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Council BK Hariprasad, KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi, KPCC campaign committee chief MB Patil and other Congress leaders took part in the programme.

The demonstrations is one of five that will be held during a 75-day span. The first of these is over the Krishna river water issue. The second would be on January 2 in Hubballi which would be against the non-implementation of the Mahadayi project.

The third would be Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) in Chitradurga on January 8. The fourth would be 45 to 50 day yatra that aims to cover all district headquarters to be held in the first and second week of January. The fifth and final one would be a Backward Class (BC) convention.

“The march will begin on the 30th of this month. On that day, we will stage a protest in Vijayapura about the sharing of Krishna river water. On January 2, we will stage a demonstration about Mahadayi project in Hubballi. On January 8, a Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) convention would be held in Chitradurga,” Shivakumar said.

He said that the party leaders would start a bus yatra from Belagavi. He added that they would hold programmes in Belagavi and Chikkodi town on January 10 and January 11 respectively. “Since the district is huge, we have divided it into Belagavi and Chikkodi segments,” the KPCC president said.

Siddu to tour north, DKS south

“I will travel the southern districts. Siddramaiah will travel the northern districts. We will both campaign in coastal Karnataka and Bengaluru,” Shivakumar said. There would be a four day break followed by programmes in Hospet and Koppal on January 17. Gadag and Bagalkot will see party events on January 18. Congress events will take place in Haveri and Davangere on January 19.

On January 20, they will hold programmes in Hassan and Chikkamagaluru. Udupi and Dakshina Kannada district will be the target of party campaigns on January 22. There will be events in Kolar and Chikkaballapura on January 23. Bengaluru and Tumakuru will host party programmes on January 24.

On January 26, they will make their way to Mysuru and Chamarajanagara districts. Mandya and Ramanagara will be the targets on January 27. Bidar and Yadgir will witness Congress events on January 28.

‘OBC convention after mid Jan’

Meanwhile, State Congress Other Backward Classes (OBC) wing president Madhu Bangarappa said that the party’s office bearers held a meeting and the planned OBC convention will happen anywhere between January 15 and February 15. “District-level OBC conventions will be held after January 15 and before February 15. We wish that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar participate,” he said.