Congress ready to hold Karavali Malnad Dhwani Yatra in coastal and Malnad regions
Considered to BJP bastions, they were a weak spot for the Cong in the last election, with the party winning only 3 seats in the region
Mangaluru: The Congress party in coastal Karnataka is readying for Karavali Malnad Dhwani Yatra, scheduled to be held from February 5 to March 10.
AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala held a meeting in Mangaluru on Wednesday to discuss the details of the Yatra, which will cover all 26 constituencies in the Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu districts.
These districts, considered to be strongholds of the BJP, were a weak spot for the Congress in the last election, with the party winning only three seats in the region. The Congress leaders hope to turn this around in the upcoming election by increasing its presence in the region through the Karavali Malnad Dhwani Yatra.
In an effort to increase their presence in the coastal and Malnad region, the Congress plans to use the Yatra to inform the public of the party's promises and their contributions to the development of the region. Congress leaders also intend to highlight the increase in communal divide during the BJP's regime.
To make the event more effective and reach people at the grassroots level, the Congress leaders have decided to hold meetings in every constituency during the Yatra, instead of taking up large-scale Yatras or holding meetings in the district headquarters which can only be attended by a limited number of people.
The BJP, however, is dismissive of the Yatra's potential impact. "This is a desperate effort by the Congress leaders who know that they will lose the battle," Mangaluru Vibhag Prabhari Uday Kumar Shetty told Deccan Chronicle.
"They held a state-level Praja Dhwani Yatra which had no impact. Now they want to hold this program in the coastal and Malnad region which again will be a dud. The BJP is already ahead in the campaign. While they are holding Yatras, we have already started a booth-wise campaign through Vijay Sankalp Abhiyan. They will only end up spending on Yatra and will not succeed in reaching out to the people," he added.
The coastal and Malnad region have been traditionally a Congress bastion, which in the recent years has been grabbed by BJP. The Congress party is keen to regain its lost ground in this region and the Karavali Malnad Dhwani Yatra is an effort in this direction.
Though the BJP has been dismissive of the Yatra's impact, it will closely monitor the developments in the region and ensure maintaining its grip.