Sonia visit to revive Karnataka Congress

BANGALORE: The two-day whirlwind tour of Congress president Sonia Gandhi is expected to inject the much needed enthusiasm into the Congress in Karnataka which has been out of power for almost eight years. Sonia’s visit to Karnataka after a gap of over four years was originally aimed at her participation in the 105th birth anniversary of Shivakumar Swamiji of the Sidhaganga Mutt who wields influence over the dominant Lingayat community.She would also visit Nagasamudra village in Molakalmur taluk in Chitradurga district and inspect relief works undertaken.The Congress president has already made her intentions clear that the party will focus on the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka. The party’s victory in the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha by-elections has also boosted the confidence of the state Congress.The KPCC in its bid to strengthen the rank and file in the state had launched several programmes, including ‘Congress Nadige Janara Balige’ and ‘Join Congress and Bring Change’.The second programme, however, was deferred at Sonia’s directions to the state leaders to concentrate on the prevailing drought conditions in the state.