IOC Team in Karnataka to boost Congress

The IOCUSA team, led by George Abraham, vice-chair, has swiftly journeyed to Karnataka, playing a crucial role in expressing our solidarity with Congress election efforts as the state is preparing for the election in two phases commencing on April 26.
The team arrived in Mandya, where Shri. Venkataraman Gowda is waging a spirited campaign running for the Loka Sabha seat. As we arrived, a vast and enthusiastic crowd awaited Rahul Gandhi to cheer and listen to him. A roar of applause erupted as he entered the meeting grounds, and the crowd chanted Rahul ji and jai Congress. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has made a long speech detailing the failures of the Modi Administration and made an impassioned plea to vote for Congress. Rahul Gandhi, in his remarks, explained the Congress manifesto to roars of approval from the crowd. 
On the subsequent day, the IOC team had a productive meeting with the Chief Minister at his residence. The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude for the team's assistance and support. Dr. Arathi Krishna, the AICC in charge of IOC and the Chair of the NRI cell in Karnataka together with Virendra Vashist, IOC Secretary, introduced the team. George Abraham, in turn, expressed his appreciation to the Chief Minister for his warm reception and extended an invitation for him to visit the U.S. to help strengthen the IOC Karnataka Chapter. Rajiv Gowda, the President of the Karnataka chapter, presented the Chief Minister with a copy of the souvenir published during the relaunching of the Karnataka chapter in March 2024. The meeting was attended by John Joseph, senior VP, Joshua Jai Singh, President of the Tamil Chapter, and several other delegates from various countries.
The IOC team then held a Press conference in the KPCC office. During the conference, they emphasized the importance of the central and local governments collaborating with the NRI community to uphold democratic ideals and social justice. The team also voiced their concerns about the conduct of the elections, particularly the vulnerability of the EVM machines. They advocated for the use of VVPAT with 100 percent of EVMs to ensure the elections are free and fair.
Karnataka is challenging for the Congress party as the voters tend to vote differently in local and national elections. Congress is doing its utmost by speaking about the damage caused by the BJP to the economy and society while promising solutions to traffic congestion, bad roads, and public transport. If Congress wins 15-20 seats, the party will consider it a huge victory. Will have to wait and see.