From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Jan 30: Congressmen in Karnataka expect to get a shot-in-the-arm and big boost to the morale of partymen with the one-day visit to Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to Gulbarga on Saturday well before the commencement of the 2014 lok sabha electoral battle.
The AICC president during her one-day whirlwind visit to Gulbarga will be inaugurating an ESI hospital and medical complex and address a mammoth public rally organised by the KPCC.
Former Chief minister and Lok Sabha member representing Bidar Lok Sabha seat, Dharam Singh, said party workers from all the four five Lok Sabha segments in the region, including Gulbarga, Raichur, Koppal and Bellary as also from other parts of Karnataka were expected to attend the rally.
"We are expecting about one lakh party workers to converge at the party's rally" Singh said.
The party workers and leaders from the region also would felicitate the party chief, who is also Chairperson of the UPA government at the Centre, for her contribution in conferring special status to the six districts of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.
''Sonia Gandhi was very much keen in bringing amendment to the Article 371 of the Constitution and concede their (People) demand,” he said recalling that the people of the region were on struggle for over three decades seeking special status to the most backward area in the state.
Expressing confidence that Congress would bag all the five Lok Sabha seats, in the region in the coming general elections and also do spectacularly well in the State, Singh said: ''people of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region always stood behind the Congress.”
Priyank Kharge, Congress MLA and son of Union Railway minister Mallikarjuna Kharge, explained the preparations for the Sonia Gandhi rally and said: ''We are expecting over two lakh of people including partymen during the event.”
He said arrangements to accommodate over one lakh gathering at the main function place and mentioned that the uniqueness of this event is people are coming voluntarily to pay tribute to Sonia for her contribution in awarding special status the region by bringing amendment to the constitution.”
''We have never seen such an unprecedented response to the rally from the people" Kharge said.
The Congress president had visited Karnataka in September last to convey her thanks to the voters of both Bangalore Rural and Mandya Lok Sabha seats which were wrested back from the JD(S) in the byelecions held following resignation of the sitting JD(S) candidates, H D Kumaraswamy (Bangalore Rural) and Cheluvarayaswamy (Mandya).
Union Railway minister, Mallikarjuna Kharge, Chief minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dr G Parameshwara as well as several cabinet ministers and scores of other party leaders are expected to attend Sonia's rally on Saturday.