Yadgir, June 22 (IANS): Hundreds of people greeted Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on his visit to Chandraki village in Gurmitkal taluk in north Karnataka's Yadgir district for an overnight stay in a state-run school, an official said.

"A huge crowd welcomed Kumaraswamy when he alighted from Karnataka Express train in the wee hours (03:27am) at the Yadgir station and greeted him en-route to Chandarki via Gurmitkal," an official of the chief minister's office told IANS here.

Yadgri is about 490km north of Bengaluru. 

After checking into a state-run school, which has been renovated for the overnight stay, Kumaraswamy held a aJanata darshan' pubic interaction) to know first-hand the problems of the people and address their grievances.

"Hundreds of people, including women, youth, farmers, artisans, traders and other rural folks from surrounding villages flocked to Chandraki and made a beeline to the school for meeting Kumaraswamy on his maiden visit to the hamlet as chief minister," said the official.

Majority of the people petitioned the chief minister for better schools, more primary health centres, road connectivity, timely supply of seeds and fertilisers and jobs for the educated youth.

"The chief minister was also treated to a cultural programme of the region and had dinner with the students of the school he is staying for the night," added the official.

This is the second time Kumaraswamy is starting to stay overnight in a village to interact with its people and know their problems first-hand to address them on the spot.

"Kumaraswamy's village home stays during his tenure as chief minister of then JD-S-BJP coalition government in 2006-07 was popular as the people were able to meet him freely and air their grievances or seek his help in solving their problems," the official recalled.

On Saturday, Kumaraswamy will drive to Herur hamlet near Afzalpur in the adjacent Kalaburagi district for an overnight stay at a state-run school.

On the following weekend (June 28-29), the chief minister will stay for overnight at Basavakalyan in Bidar district and Sindanur in Raichur district in the state's northern region.