Rahul begins five day tour of Karnataka

BANGALORE: As Karnataka gears up for the assembly elections in May, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi arrived here on Tuesday on a five-day visit, during which he would interact with tribals, students and youth Congress activists in different parts of the state.
 
On arrival, he was given a warm welcome by KPCC president M Mallikarjun Kharge, Election Management Committee Chairman S M Krishna and state Youth Congress President Krishna Byregowda, among other leaders.
 
Gandhi later left by helicopter for Chamarajnagar, a district bordering Tamil Nadu, where he will interact with Soliga tribals at Biligirirangana hills and visit the Vivekananda tribal centre.
 
He will also meet party workers at Santhemarahalli, Kavalande, Mysore and Nanjangud and wind up his first day schedule at H.D. Kote, another tribal belt.
 
After an overnight stay in the Nagarahole reserved forest, Rahul Gandhi leave for Mangalore tomorrow.
 
He would visit Hubli, Dharwad, Gadag, Ron Badami, Bagalkot, Alamatti, Kudalasangama, a pilgrim center in Bijapur district, Hungund, Lingasugur and Raichur, before returning to Bangalore on March 29, where he will address a rally.
 
Though the Congress maintained that Rahul's visit was only aimed at interacting with various sections of people, the party hopes to derive much from his trip to woo the electorate, particularly the young.