The Karnataka Congress on Wednesday, 30 September launched its 'Bharat Jodo 2.0' padyatra from Kittadahalli village in Shikaripura taluk of Shivamogga district, deliberately routing the march through the constituency held by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra. The choice of location carries clear political weight — Vijayendra's father and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa long represented the same seat before his son succeeded him.

Route and Scale of the March

The padyatra is scheduled to cover approximately 9 to 10 kilometres, passing through Kote, Hosanagara Cross, and Nelavodlu before concluding at Shikaripura. A public convention has been organised at the APMC grounds at the end of the march.

Senior party figures leading the procession include Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B.K. Hariprasad, Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah, and Muzrai Minister K.S. Basavanthappa, alongside other state-level Congress leaders.

The Broader Campaign: 84 Constituencies, 84 Days

The 'Bharat Jodo 2.0' initiative has been planned across 84 Assembly constituencies where Congress failed to win in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. The campaign is expected to run for 84 days and span all 29 districts of the state. According to the party, the programme will focus on grassroots engagement — discussing local concerns such as drought conditions and farmers' issues directly with residents.

This comes amid the Congress government in Karnataka navigating pressure on multiple fronts, including drought relief demands from farming communities and ongoing political friction with the BJP in the state.

Hariprasad's Sharp Allegations Against Vijayendra

Speaking to reporters during the march, Hariprasad alleged that Vijayendra had ordered Congress flags and posters to be removed ahead of the padyatra. He did not hold back in his response.

'Vijayendra Yediyurappa has got the Congress party's flags and posters torn. He is still a LKG child. I have got a PhD and doctorate in such matters. If I want, I can ensure that nowhere do their flags and banners come up. We have that capacity,' Hariprasad said.

He simultaneously cautioned against escalation, adding: 'This mischief should not be done. Vijayendra should not do this being the State BJP president. In a democracy, we have the right to stage a protest. If our symbols, flags and banners are torn, BJP flags, banners and posters will also be taken out.'

Corruption Allegations and Drought Charge

Hariprasad also levelled corruption allegations against Vijayendra, claiming the Shikaripura MLA was a 'model for the whole world' when it came to corruption. He alleged that Vijayendra had received a ₹17 crore bribe through an RTGS transaction in his father's name — an allegation that has not been independently verified and which the BJP has not responded to in this context.

He further alleged that the BJP's own recent protest march passed through drought-hit taluks without raising the issue of drought — a charge that critics of the ruling Congress may counter by pointing to the state government's own drought response record.

With the padyatra now underway across opposition-held seats, all eyes will be on whether Congress can convert street-level mobilisation into electoral gains ahead of future assembly cycles in the state.