Chikkamagaluru: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Chikkamagaluru, a place which has a significant place in the history of the party, and neighbouring Hassan district on Wednesday.

The Congress has made arrangements for the rally at the district stadium in Hassan.

Rahul Gandhi’s grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi contested a by-election for the Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha seat in 1978 and won.

Mr. Gandhi’s rally in Chikkamagaluru begins. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Dr. G. Parameshwar, M. Veerappa Moily, CM Siddaramaiah, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, party leaders S.R. Patil, B.K. Hariprasad, Roshan Baig, Sagir Ahmed and B.L. Shankar are onstage.

Rahul Gandhi visited Sringeri Sharada Peetha, a place which has had a special relationship with his family for 40 years.

The Congress president’s grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited the Mutt in 1978. She took the blessings of the then seer Chandrashekhar Bharathi Swamy before contesting the Chikkamagaluru byelection.

Rajiv Gandhi had also visited the Mutt. A Sanskrit study centre set up by the Peetha in Sringeri has been named after Rajiv Gandhi.

During his visit, Rahul Gandhi went to the Sharadamba Temple and met Bharathi Teertha Swamy. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Veerappa Moily, KPCC President Dr. G. Parameshwara and others.

Congress supporters gather at M.G. Road in Chikkamagaluru to welcome Rahul Gandhi.

Mr. Gandhi will visit Sharada Peetha in Sringeri and meets Bharati Tirtha Swamy. His father Rajiv Gandhi and grandmother Indira Gandhi had also visited the mutt in the past.