Bharat Jodo Yatra completes 1,000 km as it hits Ballari, leaders sound bugle for Karnataka polls

The chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, Bhupesh Bhagel and Ashok Gehlot, and AICC Presidential poll candidate Mallikarjun Kharge joined the grand event.

Congress and Kalyana Karnataka

Given that the Bharat Jodo Yatra completed a milestone in Ballari — part of the Kalyana Karnataka region that enjoys special status under Article 371J — speeches were filled with references to the Congress’ role in the Constitutional amendment that made the special status possible.

“You shouldn’t forget that Kalyana Karnataka is getting benefits under article 371J because of the relentless push for it by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Before article 371J, our kids couldn’t get even 100 seats in medical or 500 seats in engineering courses,” Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, told the roaring crowd.

“Thanks to the special status, today thousands of doctors and engineers come from Kalyana Karnataka. Thousands of our people have employment,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi too signed off his speech with a personal reference to Ballari.

“My family has a close relationship with Ballari. My mother fought an election from here and got wholehearted support from the people. My grandmother Indira Gandhi fought from Chikamagalur. I cannot forget that,” Rahul Gandhi told a cheering crowd, adding that walking in the punishing heat of Ballari taught him a thing or two about the difficulties farmers and labourers face in the district.

“I would like to tell all the farmers, labourers, small business owners that we will help you when we come to power. We will make your life easier and support you the way a government should,” Gandhi added, almost making a poll promise of sorts.

Related: Kerala to Karnataka: How Bharat Jodo Yatra has changed

‘Quit BJP’ movement

While KPCC President DK Shivakumar deemed the Bharat Jodo Yatra a “Quit BJP” movement, he sought people’s support for the Congress in the upcoming Assembly election.

“This is a ‘Quit BJP’ movement. We have to kick out BJP and bring Congress back to power, and Karnataka has to begin that process in the next Assembly elections,” Shivakumar said.

The KPCC President, who is also a chief ministerial aspirant, highlighted the summons served to him by the Enforcement Directorate to reiterate his charge that central agencies were being “misused” to target Opposition leaders under the BJP regime.

Throughout the Karnataka stretch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi has been careful to promote and back Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar equally. Several instances of the Congress leader highlighting the need for a “united fight” in the election and pushing both leaders simultaneously has left little doubts that other leaders of the Congress, including G Parameshwara and MB Patil, will play second fiddle in the party’s scheme of things.

Attacking  RSS, BJP ideology

“Rahul Gandhi has repeated multiple times that RSS and BJP are dividing the country on the lines of religion, caste, identity, language. Politics of hate is being spread everywhere. RSS and BJP are creating hate in the country,” charged Siddaramaiah, who delivered the longest speech at the rally on Saturday.

“This yatra is not to win the Karnataka elections or the 2024 elections; but inflation is at an all-time high, LPG has crossed more than ₹1,000. Unemployment rates are the highest ever. Should we not inform you, the people, of this?” Siddaramaiah asked.

“Modi promised two crore jobs every year; instead, he has rendered lakhs of people unemployed. We should save our country from the RSS, which opposes our democracy, Constitution, flag. Constitution and democracy are in danger today. We assure Rahul Gandhi that the people of Karnataka will bring Congress to power,” Siddaramaiah claimed.