Gujarat lucky' bus for Rahul Gandhi Karnataka tour

Bengaluru: A customized 12-seater bus, considered lucky by top Congress leaders because of the party’s impressive performance during recent Assembly polls in Gujarat, will used by party president Rahul Gandhi to criss-cross the state during his three-day election-eve tour of Hyderabad-Karnataka region commencing on February 10. 

The air-conditioned bus, complete with a mini conference hall-cum-sleeping room and a toilet, was used extensively by Mr Gandhi in Gujarat. It arrived in Bengaluru on Monday, and will begin the run from Ballari on February 10. The bus will be fitted with additional facilities and get a facelift as well to match the local flavor before commencement of the tour according to a senior leader of the ruling Congress. 

The leader told the media that minister for Bengaluru development, K J George, has been entrusted with the task of refurbishing the bus and incorporating additional facilities. 

The who’s who of state unit of Congress will accompany Mr Gandhi during the campaign tour. “After addressing the first rally in Hosapete, he will complete the tour of the first zone with veteran Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,” the leader added. 

The leader said Mr Gandhi would address mini public rallies at street corners and visit important places en route during the three-day tour. 

The focus will be an exhaustive comparison of the state’s development model with that of Gujarat as part of a strategy to woo voters, the leader added.