If Prime Minister Modi started his Karnataka campaign with a rally in Bengaluru, Rahul Gandhi is all set to start his election campaign in one of the most backward regions of Karnataka – the Hyderabad-Karnataka region – on 10 February.
During his four-day tour, Gandhi will visit religious places like Huligemma Temple, Gavi Siddeshwara Mutt, Anubhava Mantapa, and Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah. The rally will also include interactions with beneficiaries of special schemes announced by state government, farmers, and business community in the region.
Although Congress holds majority seats in the region, the AICC chief will attempt to woo the Lingayat votes in the region to strengthen the vote bank, due to the low margins of victory in 2013 elections.
Hyderabad-Karnataka region consists of six districts in north-east Karnataka – Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Bellary and Gulbarga. It was the Kannada-speaking part of the erstwhile Hyderabad State of Nizam, which was merged with Karnataka following the state formation. The region has a large Lingayat and SC/ST population.