Karnataka assembly polls: Rahul Gandhi to visit maths, Sufi shrines

Bengaluru: A section of Congress leaders is working overtime to make sure that Congress president, Rahul Gandhi visits not only  temples but also Sufi shrines, churches and various maths during his tour of  the state ahead of the assembly polls due next year.

These leaders that believe that Karnataka being dominated by caste politics like  Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is important from him to visit prominent maths to send the right signal to a particular vote block. 

"A section of senior leaders in the party feels he must visit the maths as it could get a result similar to  his temple visits in Gujarat," said a senior Congress leader, adding that  the party could not afford to follow its Gujarat model of campaigning in other matters as Karnataka had nearly a 12  per cent Muslim population and four per cent Christian and had to appeal to them as well. 

Noting that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief, Dr G. Parameshwar have been visiting Sufi shrines and defending the state celebrating Tipu Jayanti during their tours of the state as part of the strategy to win over the minorities, he reveals that  Mr Gandhi's tour will follow more or less a similar pattern to woo them in the run-up to the state elections.

Meanwhile, the KPCC is preparing to host a major event to felicitate newly elected Congress president, Rahul Gandhi mid-January. 

"We have tentatively suggested dates between January first and second week and three places , Hubballi-Dharwad, Chikmagaluru and Bengaluru to host the event and are waiting for a response from his office," sources said.