Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will discuss the party’s strategy for the upcoming elections in the State, including for the Legislative Council to be held in December and local body elections in next January, during his visit to Karnataka on Friday.
After his flying visit to Mandya, where he will meet distressed farmers, Rahul is scheduled to attend the extended meeting of the State Congress Committee office-bearers at the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru and discuss, among others, various elections to be held in the State. Elections to 25 seats of the Legislative Council will be held in January, followed by taluk panchayat and zilla panchayat polls.
State Congress president G Parameshwara said on the eve of Rahul’s visit that the party was now in a mood to prepare for the coming elections. Hence, the office-bearers’ meeting would focus on the subject.
Rahul is scheduled to address the members and take stock of the preparedness of the Congress to face the polls and also to strengthen the party.
Parameshwara will also read out a brief report on the performance of the party in the last two and a half years and present a broad sketch of the programmes to be taken up for the next two and half years.
With startup CEOs
Later, Rahul is scheduled to meet select CEOs of Bengaluru-based startups at the Kumara Krupa guesthouse. He is planning to hold an informal discussion with the CEOs on the problems being faced by them and the steps the State government needs to take to promote startups. The CEO’s of about 20 startups such as e-Kisan Foundation and Bigbasket have been invited to the meeting organised by Rahul Gandhi’s office. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Industries Minister R V Deshpande, IT and BT Minister S R Patil and AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Digvijaya Singh will be present. He will be staying in Bengaluru on Friday night, Parameshwara said.
Interaction
Earlier in the day, Rahul is scheduled to meet members of the families of two farmers who committed suicide at Kottati and Panakahalli villages in Mandya district.
He is scheduled to spend about 20 minutes at each of these villages. He will be accompanied by the chief minister, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil, Irrigation Minister M B Patil, Co-operation Minister H C Mahadevappa and Housing Minister M H Ambareesh.
The Congress vice president is scheduled to hold a brief meeting with the chief minister and his Cabinetcolleagues on the problems being faced by the farmers and will give appropriate directions.
The Congress leader will participate in an interaction with select students and progressive farmers at VC Farm.
Rahul will have his lunch at the farm after the meeting. He is scheduled to tour Haveri district on Saturday.