Sonia, Rahul, PM in city for campaign

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would undertake a whirlwind tour across the state from April 23 for the May 5 Karnataka Assembly polls.

Sonia would start her campaign on Apr 25, instead of Apr 26, as announced earlier, at Chikamagalur, from where former Prime Minister and her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi won a by-poll in 1978, that resurrected her politically to come back to power ending the erstwhile Janata Party rule. She would also campaign in Mangalore the same day, KPCC Campaign Committee Chairman Veeranna Mattikatti on Sunday told reporters here.

Sonia would tour Gulbarga and Belgaum on April 30.

Mysore and Bangalore on May 2, Mattikatti said. Rahul Gandhi would address public meetings in Raichur and Bijapur districts on Apr 23. This would be followed by meetings in Kolar, Tumkur and Haveri districts on Apr 26, instead of Apr 28 as announced earlier, Mattikatti said.

Rahul will campaign in Mandya, Hassan and Shimoga districts on May 1. The Prime Minister would campaign at Hubli-Dharwad and Bangalore on April 29, Mattikatti said.

Congress General Secretary B K Hariprasad said former External Affairs Minister S M Krishna would campaign for the party. "Krishna is our senior leader and we will get his support," he added.

Krishna would kickstart his campaign in Bangalore and cover almost all the regions till May 2, Mattikatti said, as the two leaders sought to put at rest speculations that the former CM may not be available, apparently miffed at some of his supporters being denied tickets.

Asked why Congress has given tickets to D K Shivakumar and the Lad brothers - Anil and Santosh -against whom illegal mining charges have been levelled, Hariprasad said for the last 100 years, Congress leaders who are also mining barons have indulged in legal mining. "BJP leaders are involved in illegal mining," he alleged.