Karnataka: Bid to boost JD(S) fortunes, Kumaraswamy to revive village stay programme

After meetings with senior government officials, including financial advisors and secretaries, Kumaraswamy on Monday said that this visit will begin from Gurmitkal in Yadgir region of north Karnataka on June 21.

As part of the plans, the Chief Minister will stay in local government schools overnight and dedicate an entire day to meeting local people and addressing their problems. The programme will be held for two days every month, the Chief Minister’s office has announced.

Unlike in 2006-07, Kumaraswamy is now scheduled to stay at schools to prevent inconveniencing locals and attracting criticism of the home stay being a pure “gimmick”.

BJP leaders like former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa have also stayed and eaten at homes of Dalits but reports later revealed that the hosts were forced to create modern toilet facilities or serve food sourced from hotels for VIP guests.

Senior BJP leader and Union minister for Chemicals and fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda has called it a “gimmick”.

“Earlier also he used to stay at villages but none of the villages later received government attention. Now, to save his shaky government he wants to shift the focus with village stays,” Gowda said.