Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (RJP)

Bengaluru, Jun 21: Catching fellow passengers unawares, chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday night boarded an express train to Yadagiri town for his village stay.

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

“All ministers and legislators of the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition will spend at least one day every month in a village,” said Kumaraswamy earlier after releasing a book comprising achievements of the coalition government over the past one year.

This was his first news conference in over two months since his self-imposed media boycott.

"Ministers will take up the village stay programme. I have instructed all MLAs also to do this one day every month," Kumaraswamy said,
The village stay is based on Grama Vastavya, a programme Kumaraswamy popularized during his previous stint as chief minister in 2006.

Kumaraswamy will resume this by staying overnight at a village in Yadagiri district on June 21 and 22.

"I am not doing Grama Vastavya for gimmicks," he said answering to a question.

“People voted against the Congress-JD(S) alliance in the Lok Sabha polls. But going forward, we will work in such a manner that people will regret their decision." he said.