BJP, JD(S) jittery about Rahul's successful visit: KPCC

Bangalore, Mar 28: The BJP and the Janata Dal(S) are jittery after AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who is on a five-day visit to Karnataka, cast a spell on the people and received a rousing reception wherever he went, KPCC Spokesman V S Ugrappa claimed today.

Speaking to newspersons on the preparations for tomorrow's visit of the Youth Congress leader to the city, he said Mr Gandhi would address a public meeting at Byatarayanapura grounds in the morning, then he would address the media at the KPCC office in the afternoon and wind up his tour with a get together with editors in the evening. ''Mr Gandhi has cast a spell on the people of Karnataka who have given him a stupendous reception during the first three days of his visit. The overwhelming response has put our rival parties in a state of shock. This has led to their leaders making desperate statements,'' Mr Ugrappa said.

He said Mr Gandhi's visit would catapult the party to a 'commanding' position, with the elections to the dissolved Karnataka Assembly round the corner.

''Our youth leader's charisma will bring big gains to the party at the hustings. This will undo whatever the BJP and JD(S) have done to attract the people's attention during the last one month,'' he quipped.

The Congress leader alleged that former Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy was making unfounded allegations against Congress leader S M Krishna, who had returned to active politics to head the party's poll campaign, out of sheer desperation.

''JD(S) has now realised that they are down and out of contention and will be consigned to oblivion by the people. This is the reason why Mr Kumaraswamy is making some wild allegations,'' he added.

UNI