Karnataka ready to welcome Kharge on maiden visit as AICC chief

Kalaburagi: A rousing reception awaits newly-elected AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge on his maiden visit to his home town Kalaburagi after taking over the coveted post, on Saturday.

Elaborate preparations have been made by the Congress and Dalit organisations to accord him a grand reception when he arrives here on Saturday. The grand-old party is organising a convention under the name ‘Kalyana Kranthi’, in which people of seven districts and 41 Assembly constituencies would participate.

After he arrives in Kalaburagi by a special flight from New Delhi, Kharge will be taken in a procession for four kilometres.

The party chief will then take part in the convention being organised in the grounds of the N.V. College.

Party’s state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, Opposition leader in Legislative Council B.K. Hariprasad and Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivkumar will be present at the convention.

Political experts are describing the massive convention as a showing of the political might of the Congress in north Karnataka.

Kharge had faced a humiliating defeat against BJP candidate Umesh Jadhav in the last Parliamentary elections. Later, he was nominated as the Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha and went on to win AICC President elections.

A revered leader of oppressed classes, Kharge dislikes being branded as Dalit leader. However, the exploited and downtrodden classes across the state still see him as their icon.

At the convention, the Congress leaders are likely to launch a blistering attack on the ruling BJP following their resounding victory in the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls.

It is crucial for the party to get back the votes of the Dalit and other sections of exploited classes in the state, which were moved to the fold of BJP last time.

The Congress leaders will also take on ruling BJP over its aggressive Hindutva agenda. The party will also claim credits for increasing the reservation for SC’s and ST’s.