After Dr Umesh Jadhav’s exit, Rahul Gandhi in bid to reclaim Kalaburagi

Bengaluru: With veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge facing a formidable task in retaining the Kalaburagi Lok Sabha seat after some senior Congress leaders of the district joined the BJP, the Congress is leaving nothing to chance with party president Raul Gandhi himself set to address a poll rally at the historic NV Grounds here on Monday.

After kickstarting his poll campaign in Kalaburagi, Mr Gandhi will be in Bengaluru on Monday evening to hold discussions with a select group of entrepreneurs. The interaction will be held at an amphitheatre at Manyata Tech Park in the city.

It was at the NV Ground in Kalaburagi that Mr Gandhi, as the AICC General Secretary in 2009, promised to confer special status on the backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

The Congress fulfilled the promise in 2013 and reaped the benefits in the Assembly as well as Lok Sabha elections.

“From this same place, Mr Gandhi is likely to make an appeal that his party will pay special attention to the region as it did previously if voted to power at the Centre,” well placed sources said.

It is by now a known fact that the BJP high command led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National President Amit Shah are paying special attention to wresting Kalaburagi from Mr Kharge which is why the Congress considered it necessary to bring Mr Gandhi here to marshal support for the veteran leader.

In fact PM Modi had addressed a rally on March 6 at the same ground where Dr Umesh Jadhav, who is likely to be pitted against Mr Kharge, joined the BJP.

Meanwhile the Congress which suffered a setback when its Chincholi MLA Dr Umesh Jadhav defected to the BJP, has started hitting back with former Rajya Sabha member K.B. Shanappa resigning from the BJP and some leaders including BJP State Vice-President Baburao Chavan expected to join the Congress in the presence of Mr Gandhi on Monday.