Sonia, Priyanka Gandhi to participate in 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Sep 23: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would participate in the Karnataka leg of the "Bharat Jodo Yatra" led by Rahul Gandhi that will be entering the state on September 30, state party chief D K Shivakumar said on Friday.
Noting that the Karnataka Congress has made preparations for the yatra by giving responsibility to leaders, Shivakumar said Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will be participating in the yatra here; they will be giving dates. "...I will announce the dates in the future."
AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal along with another AICC General Secretary and in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, state Congress President Shivakumar and a host of leaders on Friday participated in the party's review meeting on the yatra.
"In Karnataka, Congress President Sonia Gandhi may attend the Bharat Jodo Yatra some day, and Priyanka Gandhi will also be joining separately," Venugopal said.
Noting that the Karnataka leg of the yatra will begin at Gundlupet on September 30 at 9 AM, Shivakumar said on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, there is a programme at Badanavalu in Nanjangud Taluk, which is known for its Khadi and Gramodyog Centre.
"There will be two days holiday for Dasara, there will be a public meeting in Ballari, in between Rahul Gandhi will be interacting with youth, women, civil society, students, tribal community and farmers among others each day, and teams have been formed for this," he added.
Not wanting to comment on the demand for Rahul Gandhi as AICC President, Shivakumar in response to a question said, "KPCC has already authorised the Congress President...we all are committed that Rahul ji should lead the party, but it is left to him."
The AICC was fully satisfied with the arrangements made by KPCC for the yatra, Venugopal said, adding the march has been successful so far and the response to it in Tamil Nadu and Kerala is "unimaginable and beyond expectations".
Arrangements have been made in Karnataka to ensure the same success, he said, "for the last ten years, the BJP and Sangh Parivar had one duty- to tarnish the image of Rahul Gandhi, but people are now realising as to who is Rahul Gandhi...this yatra will be a turning point in Indian politics."
Responding to a question, Venugopal said, "PayCM' is not a campaign created by the Congress party. The party is only taking up genuine issues raised by people of Karnataka, everyone is saying this is the most corrupt government in the state."
The Congress is not scared of arrests, party workers have enough courage and will raise the corruption issue again and again, come what may, he said.
Surjewala said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai "lords over" the most corrupt government in the entire country. "This is a one scam a day government that he (Bommai) heads."
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Over 2,800 farmers died by suicide in Karnataka since 2023-24 FY: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): A total of 2,809 farmers have died by suicide in Karnataka since the 2023-24 fiscal year, with the state ranking second in the country for such suicides, Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy has informed the state legislative assembly.
In a written reply to a question from BJP MLA Arvind Bellad during the ongoing winter session in Belagavi, the state agricultural minister said that 1,254 farmer suicides were reported in 2023-24 fiscal, 1,178 in 2024-25, and 377 cases were recorded in 2025-26 (as of now).
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According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Karnataka ranks second nationally in farmer suicides. However, Cheluvarayaswamy noted a decrease in suicides compared to the previous three years.
Data provided by the minister revealed that Haveri reported the highest number of suicides, with 297 cases, followed by Belagavi at 259, Kalaburagi (234), Dharwad (195), and Mysuru (190).
In terms of compensation, the state government disbursed Rs 54 crore to 1,081 eligible farmer families in 2023-24, Rs 44.8 crore to 896 families in 2024-25, and Rs 9.65 crore to 193 families in 2025-26 (until November). There are 112 cases still under review.
The government attributed the delay in compensation payments to technical issues, assuring that once resolved, payments will be made promptly.
Of the 1,254 suicides reported in 2023-24, 164 cases were rejected, and 1,090 families were deemed eligible for compensation.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, 156 cases were rejected, with 1,022 families eligible. For the current fiscal year (2025-26), 46 cases out of 377 suicides were rejected, and 310 families have been deemed eligible for compensation.
BJP State President B Y Vijayendra criticised the Congress-led state government, accusing it of "divine negligence" over the issue of farmer suicides.
"There is no excuse for the negligence of this corrupt Congress government, which has failed to address the plight of farmers. In the last 2.5 years, Karnataka has become second in farmer suicides," he said on 'X'.
It is "shocking" that 2,809 farmers have taken their lives under their rule, he added.
