Basavaraj Bommai, the chief minister of the state of Karnataka, said on Thursday that the Congress’ “Bharat Jodo Yatra,” which is currently travelling through the state that is going to the polls and is being joined by the party’s top leadership, Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka Gandhi, “will have no impact.”
He denied the assertions that the state-wide rallies and leader visits that the ruling BJP was preparing to counter the Congress yatra were organised much earlier.
“Naturally, all party leaders labour for their own parties; she (Sonia Gandhi) has already walked for half a mile, so it’s alright. Through answer to a question on the effect of Sonia, Priyanka, and Rahul Gandhi’s marching in the state as part of the yatra, Bommai remarked, “As far as we are concerned, we have nothing to do with it and it doesn’t create any influence.
In response to a question on the state-wide rallies and leader travel that the ruling BJP intended to oppose the Congress yatra, he replied that everything had been prepared far before.
“As I mentioned earlier, there will be six rallies, and this will be one of them. We had originally planned to do it before the assembly session, but we decided to go ahead anyhow.”
Sonia Gandhi, the head of the Congress, took part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Thursday, returning to a party public event after a lengthy absence. Sonia Gandhi walked beside her son Rahul Gandhi and other leaders in the Mandya district for a few kilometres while party supporters applauded and shouted slogans.
When asked if he would be going to New Delhi to discuss the expansion of the cabinet with the BJP central leadership, the CM simply replied, “I will let you know before going.”