Bangalore: Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who arrived here Friday night, visited drought-affected areas in Nagasamudra village in Chitradurga district on Saturday.

During her 25-minute-long visit, villagers pleaded for loan waiver and complained about non-implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) in the village.
 
Sonia assured them that she will look into the problem.

Sonia’s visit is being seen as an attempt to revive the grand old party in the state.

Sonia is also scheduled to participate in the Guruvandana programme of Siddaganga Mutt seer Shivakumaraswamiji in Tumkur. The Siddaganga Mutt Swami is the most influential guru among the Lingayat community.

Notably, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa is very popular among the Lingayats and thus Sonia’s visit is surely expected to raise eyebrows in the ruling BJP.

It is for the first time in the last six years that a Congress leader would be hogging the limelight at a function organised by Siddaganga mutt. BJP leaders, including Yedyyurappa, will not attend the programme.