Karnataka CM travels in train for village stay

Bengaluru: Catching fellow passengers unawares, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday night boarded an express train to Yadgir town for his village stay in the states northern district on this weekend, an official said.

"Instead of flying by a chartered aircraft or a helicopter, Kumaraswamy boarded Karnataka Express from the city main station to reach Yadgir on Friday morning for his village stay at Chandraki near Gurmitkal in the district to reach out the rural people," the official told IANS.

The backward district headquarters (Yadgir) is about 490km from Bengaluru in North Karnataka.

This is the second time Kumaraswamy is starting to stay overnight in a village to interact with its people and know their problems first-hand to address them on the spot.

"Kumaraswamy's village home stays during his tenure as chief minister of then JD-S-BJP coalition government in 2006-07 was popular as the people were able to meet him freely and air their grievances or seek his help in solving their problems," the official recalled.

The chief minister will stay overnight in a government-run school than at a farmer's home during the 2006-07 village stay programme.

On Saturday, Kumaraswamy will drive to Herur hamlet near Afzalpur in the adjacent Kalaburagi district for an overnight stay at a state-run school.

On the following weekend (June 28-29), the Chief Minister will stay for overnight at Basavakalyan in Bidar district and Sindanur in Raichur district in the state's northern region.