Is Congress campaign gaining better traction among first-time voters, youth in Karnataka?

Mangaluru: The poll-bound Karnataka state is witnessing political parties drawing the battle lines based on their core values. The coast of Karnataka is stated to be the laboratory of Hindutva politics and has seen it all political murders, engineered communal riots and Hindutva polarisation.

The recent call by the BJP's state top bosses to escalate communally sensitive issues like Love Jihad has riled even the Hindutva activists, majority of the cadres did not heed to the call, but on the contrary they have started taking a serious look at the mandate of the Karavali Praja Dhawani pattern where the Congress party has raised issues that are relevant to the youth and common people, striking a new chord among the young voters and first time voters.

The Congress party's special edition of the Prajadwhani yatra for the Coastal Karnataka features 10 models of development of the coast speaks volumes of the vision that the party has to offer. Outlining the features with The Hans India the brain behind the Yatra's course and convenor Manjunath Bhandary MLC told "The role of an elected people's representative is focus on establishing a link between the people and the government and make efforts to meet their aspirations in all walks of socio-political life. The Karavali Prajadwhani was designed to reach deep into the grassroots level workers and voters. The three tier system of state leaders, ZP level leaders and to the panchayat level leaders was established for the full fruition of the democratic process under the Karavali Prajadwhani yatra"

The party had laid out a charter of ten features, designed to achieve total development of the coast of Karnataka. Rs. 10 lakh insurance to every fishermen's family, Rs. 1 lakh subsidised loan for fisherwoman, Rs. 25 lakh loan with 25 per cent subsidy on interest for buying new boats for the fishermen, the subsidy on diesel used for fishing vessels will be hiked from Rs. 10.71 per litre to Rs. 25 and the quota of subsidised diesel will be increased from present 300 litres to 500 litres per day per vessel.

In another infrastructure push the Congress party has promised to take up dredging operations in Malpe, Mangaluru and Gangolli fisheries harbour within the first six months after the Congress comes to power in state. "These initiatives will transform the lives of lakhs of our hardworking fishermen and incentivise them expand their operations" Bhandary told.