Congress padayatra with eye on BBMP polls, alleges BJP

Congress padayatra with eye on BBMP polls, alleges BJP
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Congress padayatra with eye on BBMP polls, alleges BJP

Highlights

The Congress party’s Padayatra got off to a roaring start on Sunday with over 50,000 people gathering at the picturesque Sangama area of river Cauvery Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagara district.

Bengaluru: The Congress party's Padayatra got off to a roaring start on Sunday with over 50,000 people gathering at the picturesque Sangama area of river Cauvery Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagara district. The launch of padayatra was embedded with a touch of culture as folk dancers from all over neighbouring districts danced all the way till the Padayatra reached the state highway to a distance of 6 kilometres. People from all walks of life on this Sunday morning gathered in big numbers and marched towards the Ramanagar town on a 169-kilometre long Padayatra towards Meke Daatu another scenic picnic spot embellished by Balamuri and Yedamuri waterfalls.

The who is who of the Congress party were present at the launching point. The leaders who made short speeches included opposition leader in the legislative assembly S Siddaramiah, KPCC president DK Shivakumar, Opposition leader in the parliament Mallikarjuna Kharge, former Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwar, former minister and Congress leader RV Deshpande, H K Patil, Saleem and many others. Swamiji's of many Veerashaiva mutts in Mysuru district also added solemnity to the occasion with their blessings. Cine Actor Shivaraj Kumar inaugurated the event and added the much-needed star value to the event.

The 169-kilometre padayatra, dubbed "Our Water, Our Rights," will pass through 15 Assembly constituencies before ending on January 19 in Basavangudi. The padayatra will arrive in Doddaalanahalli on the first day after covering 17 kilometres.

Congress leaders from the Coastal belt, Mysuru, Bengaluru, Uttara Kannada, North Karnataka Region, and some from the neighbouring Kerala state also had participated in the launch of the Padayatra.

The Congress leaders sounded a huge drum kept on the stage. "Let the sound of this drum wake the state and the central government towards the plight of the people of Bengaluru city who clamour for every litre of water" was the war call given by DK Shivakumar, his brother MP from Ramanagar DK Suresh also joined in beating the drum. In the politically sensitive Vokkaliga-dominated Cauvery basin areas of South Karnataka, where water issues connect emotional chords, the padayatra has already created political colours. It's also where the Congress is fighting the Janata Dal (Secular), which gets its electoral strength from the Vokkaliga heartland. Mr Shivakumar camped in Kanakapura his hometown and guided an army of workers from the party and an event management group to make it workable. He and his family members visited the nearby temple and he himself took a dip in the Cauvery river and offered 'Bagina' He also carried the padayatra flag in a coracle before going to the function.

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