Shivamogga: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Wednesday, September 30, launched its ‘Bharat Jodo 2.0’ padyatra from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, targeting the 84 Assembly constituencies where the Congress was defeated in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.
The 84-day programme is being led by KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad and will cover 29 districts. The initiative has been planned to strengthen the party’s organisational network and increase direct interaction with voters in constituencies where Congress candidates lost in the last Assembly election.
The padyatra began at Kittadahalli in Shikaripura taluk and proceeded through Mattikote, Hosanagar Cross and Nelavodlu before reaching Shikaripura town. The opening leg covered around 10 km and was followed by a public meeting in Shikaripura.
Several Congress leaders, ministers and party workers participated in the inaugural march. Ministers Madhu Bangarappa and K.S. Basavanna were among those who joined the programme along with Congress functionaries and workers from different parts of Shivamogga district.
Shikaripura represented by BJP state chief BY Vijayendra
The launch from Shikaripura has attracted political attention, as the constituency is represented by BJP state president and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra. The seat was earlier represented by his father and former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa.
Congress leaders have said the padyatra is intended to take the party’s organisational and public outreach programme to constituencies where it suffered electoral defeats. The party has also indicated that issues such as drought, unemployment, price rise and electoral concerns will be discussed during the wider campaign.
The programme has been linked to the fourth anniversary of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entering Karnataka on September 30, 2022. The earlier yatra covered several districts of Karnataka as part of its nationwide campaign.
The Congress has planned similar programmes in the remaining identified constituencies, with the next phase expected to begin from October 4 or 5. The party intends to complete the exercise over 84 days, covering all 84 constituencies selected for the campaign.
The Shikaripura launch marks the beginning of a prolonged statewide outreach programme by the Congress ahead of the next Assembly election, with the party focusing on strengthening its presence at the grassroots level.
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