BENGALURU: Ahead of May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold Jai Bharat rally in Kolar on April 9, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said here.

“Rahul Gandhi will be in Kolar on April 9 and address the Jai Bharat Rally there. He was supposed to address the rally on April 5, but postponed it due to some work,” he told reporters on Saturday.

The former Chief Minister is visiting Kolar to oversee the preparations for the Jai Bharat rally.

This will be Rahul Gandhi’s first rally after his disqualification as member of Lok Sabha.

The Gandhi scion was convicted by a Surat district court and sentenced to two years imprisonment in the defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark made in an election rally in Kolar in

2019. The criminal defamation case against him was filed by Surat West BJP MLA Purnesh Modi. After being convicted by the court, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha.

On March 29, Election Commission of India announced schedule for Karnataka assembly polls with May 10 as polling and May 13 as counting days.

Disqualified Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday offered his humble tributes to Dr Shivakumara Swamigalu of the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru on his Jayanti.

He said Shivkumara Swami has left behind a legacy of selfless service to humanity and dedicated his life to empowerment of the poor, primarily through education.

“Offer my humble tributes to His Holiness, Dr Sree Sree Sree Shivakumara Swamigalu of the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, Karnataka, on his Jayanti.

Revered as “the walking God”, Swamigalu has left behind a legacy of selfless service to humanity. He dedicated his life to empowerment of the poor, primarily through education,” Rahul Gandhi said on his Facebook page.

The seer’s teachings will remain a guiding light for generations to come, he added.

The Jai Bharat Rally in Kolar will be Rahul Gandhi’s first rally after his disqualification as member of Lok Sabha