Belagavi: Ahead of the forthcoming Assembly polls, the KPCC (Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee) virtually began its poll campaign today by setting off ‘Prajadhwani’ bus yatra at Belagavi this morning to highlight the failures, misdeeds and maladministration of the BJP Governments in the State and Centre.

AICC General Secretary In-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala, KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar (DKS), Opposition leader and former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and other top Congress leaders launched the ‘Prajadhwani’ bus yatra at Veer Soudha here. The Yatra will pass through 21 districts over the next few days, during which the Congress leaders will sensitise people on the rampant corruption and maladministration of BJP Government. The Yatra will also focus on the Congress plans and ideas for the State if voted to power in the Assembly polls. The Yatra was launched with the theme ‘Kai Jodisi Karunaadigagi’ (Join hands with the Congress for saving the State).The Congress has developed a website- prajadhwani.com for the purpose. The yatra will first cover several districts of North Karnataka, before entering the Southern State, with DKS and Siddharamaiah at the helm.

Earlier, the Congress leaders paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Veer Soudha (Gandhi Baavi), which was built to commemorate the only session of the Congress presided over by the Father of the Nation in pre-independence days.

Yesterday, DKS, Siddharamaiah and other Congress leaders performed puja to the specially designed bus at Belagavi.

Speaking after the launch, DKS said that over 84,000 youths have lost their jobs while more than 1,200 companies have either shut down or on the verge of closure in the past couple of years. All this is due to the incompetence of the State Government, he said adding that this situation has deterred investors from setting up Industries and companies in the State.