Local leaders want Sonia to campaign in this election given that she contested the Bellary LS constituency in 1999 and defeated BJP’s Sushma Swaraj.
New Delhi: The decision of the Congress party to use its previous president Sonia Gandhi to campaign for the Karnataka elections is largely aimed at wooing Lingayat voters in the northern part of the state, party sources said Monday.
Sonia Gandhi will campaign Tuesday in Vijayapura, located around 40 km from Basavana Bagewadi, the birthplace of 12th century philosopher, social reformer and poet Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat movement.
On 13 February, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had visited Anubhava Mantapa, a spiritual parliament set up by Basavanna, in order to connect with the Lingayat community which has traditionally voted for the BJP. The Congress is eyeing electoral gains this time with the Siddaramaiah government giving minority religion status to the Lingayats.
According to sources, Sonia Gandhi along with her daughter Priyanka and son-in-law Robert Vadra, was scheduled to go abroad on 6 May. However, her trip got cancelled and Gandhi made herself available to campaign in Karnataka.
In August 2016, she had done a road show in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, setting the tone for the party’s campaign for the 2017 assembly election. But her health deteriorated during the road show and she was taken to Delhi in an air ambulance.
She has since avoided election campaigns despite her name being on the party’s star campaigners’ list.
However, local leaders have been demanding that Sonia Gandhi campaign in this election given that she has a special connection with the state, the party sources said.
Sonia Gandhi had contested from the Bellary Lok Sabha constituency in north Karnataka in 1999 and defeated the BJP’s Sushma Swaraj.
This time, three places from three different regions of Karnataka were shortlisted initially. However, Sonia Gandhi’s office preferred Vijayapura in north Karnataka, a Lingayat-dominated area.
Party functionaries are of the view that Sonia Gandhi’s popularity in the region will help the Congress attract voters.
Also, her presence in the last leg of campaigning makes more sense, the sources said. Preparations have also been made for a second rally at Belgaum.
However, it is not confirmed yet whether Sonia Gandhi wants to address another rally in the state or not.
“Of course, her campaigning would help the party as people of Karnataka have special affection for the Gandhi family,” said Rajeev Gowda, Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader from the state.
“Apart from her, all the senior leaders of the party, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, are already devoting time to the state,” he added.
The election for 224 assembly seats in Karnataka will be held on 12 May and the results will be declared on 15 May.