Rahul Gandhi to address public meetings in Mandya and Kolar today

Bengaluru: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address public meetings at Mandya and Kolar in Karnataka on Wednesday for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

According to Congress sources, he is scheduled to land in Bengaluru around 1.20 pm from where he will go to Mandya by a chopper and address a poll rally at around 2.10 pm. He will then fly to Kolar to address a public meeting at around 4 pm.

Both Mandya and Kolar are going to polls in the first of the two-phase elections in Karnataka.

It is his first visit to the state after the poll schedule was announced a month ago.

Interestingly, the Congress is facing JD(S), which is BJP’s ally, in both seats.

While it will be a direct contest between JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and Congress’ Venkataramane Gowda, popularly known as ‘Star Chandru’ in Mandya, the fight is between Congress’ K V Gowtham and M Mallesh Babu in Kolar.

While 14 constituencies in the southern part of the state will see polling on April 26, the second phase of voting in northern districts will be held on May seven.