BENGALURU: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address a farmers' rally in Bidar on August 13 with preparations in full swing for felicitation of newly appointed KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao and working president Eshwar Khandre. Sources in the party said the rally would also serve to galvanize party cadre in the home district of Mr Eshwar Khandre though it would be billed as a farmers' rally. Mr Gandhi could not make it when both Mr Rao and Mr Khandre took over the reins of the state unit and therefore it would be an ideal opportunity for the leader to felicitate them, sources added.
Siddu in New Delhi
The new Congress Working Committee member, Siddaramaiah, met AICC leaders Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad and discussed the current political situation in Karnataka. Sources in Congress said Mr Siddaramaiah, who was in Delhi to attend the CWC meeting, met these two leaders separately. Both Mr Ahmed Patel and Mr Azad were vocal supporters of the coalition and backed the idea of JD (S) leading the anti-BJP front. The meeting assumed significance as a week ago, JD (S) patriarch, H.D. Deve Gowda, met Mr Azad and Patel and complained against Mr Siddaramaiah.
Dinesh meets Gowda
KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao met Mr Deve Gowda at the latter’s residence in Bengaluru on Saturday. Sources in both parties termed it as a courtesy call. “Ever since he became the KPCC president, Mr Gundurao was asking for an appointment. Since Mr Gowda was busy in Delhi, the meeting could not be held. Today, after he returned, the meeting occurred. So, nothing politically significant transpired,” Mr Gowda’s media office said. Mr Gundurao met Mr Gowda a day after his meeting with Mr Siddaramaiah. Sources in the Congress party said that the KPCC chief perhaps used the opportunity to gauge the mood of Mr Gowda vis-a-vis differences between the coalition partners ahead of elections to urban local bodies.
