Rahul Gandhi to visit poll-bound Karnataka again on Saturday

Bengaluru: Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be on a three-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka again from Saturday after 10 days of his first visit to the state since becoming party chief, a party official said on Friday.

"Gandhi will tour Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot and Dharwad districts in the state's northwest during the second leg of his visit to Karnataka as part of our 'Jana Ashirwada Yatra' to seek blessings of the people for the upcoming assembly poll" party's state unit president G. Parameshwara told reporters here.

State assembly election are due to be held in late April or early May.

Gandhi visited the state for the first time after becoming party chief in December from February 10-13, covering Koppal, Ballari, Raichur, Yadigir, Kalaburgi and Bidar districts in the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region in four days,

"As in the previous visit, Gandhi will address public meetings, participate in a women's rally, interact with various groups and flag-off a half marathon over the next three days, travelling in a special bus along with state leaders in the erstwhile Bombay-Karnataka region," said Parameshwara.

Besides Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, party's state unit Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao, MPs and MLAs will accompany him.

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"Gandhi will also meet businessmen and youth for feedback about our government's performance during the last 5 years and their expectations from our party in the next five years," said Parameshwara.

Gandhi is also like to visit temples, dargahs at Saundatti, Gudachi and Vijapaura.

According to Congress officials in Delhi, On the first day of his visit, Gandhi will hold a public meeting at Athani in Belgaum.

He will attend another programme "Sthree Shakti Samavesh" (women's rally) at a public meeting ground in Tikota of Bijapur district, followed by two other programmes in the district on Saturday.

Gandhi will also go to Bagalkot and Dharwad districts, where he will meet various groups in the state and address public meetings, they said.

--IANS inputs