No walk in park: DKS preps for padayatra

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Determined to stay on top of his fitness regime ahead of the arduous 175-km padayatra from Mekedaatu to Bengaluru KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar was spotted walking at Sankey Tank on Saturday morning.

He walked for around six kilometres, preparing for the ambitious 16-18 km he will have to cover each day during the padayatra. The KPCC chief will continue his morning routine at the Sankey Tank bund for the next week.

Sources close to Shivakumar say he has also bought several pairs of sports shoes that will enable him to walk along rough, rural terrains.

The Congress strongman is undertaking the 10-day padayatra to urge the state government to build a reservoir on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border to save excess water after Cauvery water is released to the neighbouring state. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah is also learnt to be practicing walking to participate in the padayatra.

In 2009, Siddaramaiah had walked from Bengaluru to Ballari as opposition leader, after accepting a challenge from then tourism minister G. Janardhan Reddy. It remains to be seen if Siddaramaiah will indeed take up the challenge as he is pushing 70.