Bengaluru (The Hawk): Through its "Pancharatna Ratha Yatra," the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) in Karnataka will sound the election bugle in the state on Friday from the Mulbagal assembly constituency of Kolar district.
Up until December 27, the Rath Yatra will be in effect. The yatra would travel through six districts and 34 assembly constituencies in its initial phase.
According to reports, the party is attempting to become the decisive force after the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka.
Before travelling to Mulbagal to begin the Ratha Yatra on Friday morning, former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy would perform an act of worship in Mysuru for the goddess Chamundeshwari.
The Rath Yatra would be officially launched by former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, who had promised to install JD-S into office following the upcoming elections.
After the inauguration, the leaders will also speak to a large gathering of people.
The party also intends to announce the 90 candidates on the ballot for the upcoming assembly elections. For the yatra, the party has created eight unique vehicles. Due to persistent rain, the party had to postpone the yatra twice.
It was confirmed by sources that Kumaraswamy would stay in a village while on the yatra.
With 25 to 35 seats in the upcoming assembly elections, the JD-S is hoping to become a major force.
Kumaraswamy wants to keep the Vokkaliga vote base in southern Karnataka even though the major party leaders have left and joined national parties, citing family dominance and anarchy.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has yet to win an assembly election with a simple majority, hopes to do well in the Vokkaliga belt.
The 108-foot-tall statue of the man who founded Bengaluru, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, was built by the BJP and recently unveiled on the grounds of Bengaluru International Airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
An iconic member of the Vokkaliga community is Kempegowda.
However, Kumaraswamy had claimed that by erecting Kempegowda's statue, the BJP would lose support.
In general, the dominant Vokkaliga community supported JD-S during the elections.
(Inputs from Agencies)
