Kharge confident of Congress' victory in K'taka

New Delhi : Ahead of the State Assembly Polls in Karnataka, senior Congress Party leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday exhorted confidence in the party's victory in the state.

"Instead of examining the situation in Uttar Pradesh, the chief minister (Yogi Adityanath) was busy giving speeches in Karnataka, and as a result, lost in the bypolls. We are confident that with your (party members and workers) blessings and cooperation, we will come back to power in Karnataka. However, a lot is to be done, and we need your help.

The way Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers go door-to-door, we need the same from you also in Karnataka. I would like to appeal to all of you to keep all your differences aside for national interest," Kharge said at the Congress' Plenary Session here.

The senior Congress leader further lambasted the Centre and the BJP for failing to keep their promise intact on improving the plight of farmers in the country.

"There are thousands of farmers committing suicide every day in the country. A lot of promises were made by the government and Narendra Modiji, but when it came to Budget allocation, nothing was done. When we (UPA) were in power, it was mandatory that if a farmer is in distress, we will bring them out of it," he said.

With regards to the withdrawal of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Kharge reiterated that Andhra Pradesh must be given a 'special status'.

Earlier in the day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi in his first plenary session after taking over the party asserted that it is the Congress party, who can "show the way and take the nation forward".

"The symbol of the hand is the symbol of the Congress party. Congress party can unite the nation and take it forward. Only the Congress party can show the way and take the nation forward," he said.

Further expressing his gratitude towards the senior leaders, Rahul Gandhi sought their guidance to take the party forward.

Among others attending the event are Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other prominent leaders of the party.