In Chikmagalur that had voted Indira Gandhi back to power 40 years ago, grandson Rahul Gandhi accused the ruling BJP of divisive politics and urged Karnataka to stand by the Siddaramaiah government. He promised that the Congress wouldn't let them down and would work for the poor and downtrodden just as Indira Gandhi had done.
"I see it like Indira Gandhi," he reassured them.
"I also think that it is most important to work for improving the lives of the weak, poor, farmers and labourers," said Mr Gandhi, 47, who reminded his audience at more than one public meeting how it was Karnataka that had stood by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when her chips were down in 1978.
At last week's plenary session, Sonia Gandhi had also remembered the role that her mother-in-law's win from the Karnataka district best known for its coffee, pepper and scenic beauty. Sonia Gandhi had also hoped that a victory in the Karnataka assembly elections would, like Indira's Chikmagalur win, mark the revival of the party's fortunes.
Rahul Gandhi meeting supporters at Mulki in Mangaluru
The Congress president, who is on a two-day visit to south coastal Karnataka and Malnad regions, underlined this sentiment, telling the people of Karnataka that they had helped Indira Gandhi in her "most difficult time".
"I want to tell Congress workers and leaders who have stood behind us that the Congress will win the next Karnataka election with a bang. This I am telling because of the experience I had traversing parts of Karnataka," he said, according to news agency Press Trust of India.
Rahul Gandhi at Sharadamba Temple, Sringeri Mutt, during his visit to Chikmagalur on Wednesday
He said PM Modi talked about corruption while sharing stage with party members who were jailed on graft charges. PM Modi doesn't see corruption in the sudden rise in turnover of a company owned by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, he said, according to PTI.
"People do not want to listen to lies or hate speeches. They want to listen to truth and issues that concern them... Four years of Modi's rule has gone by and he has only one year left. He is going to lose the next (Lok Sabha) elections in 2019 with this kind of rule," the Congress president said.
BJP Accuses Congress Of Inciting Violence Against PM Modi With 'Maut' And 'Hinsa' Remarks Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report On Camera, Jagan Reddy's Party Member Hacked To Death On Busy Andhra Road World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage 4 Passengers Die As 12 Coaches Of Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express Derail In UP Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report Woman Dies After Jumping Off Elevated Platform At Delhi Metro Station: Cops No Coercive Action Against Delhi-NCR Home Buyers Over EMI: Supreme Court 60 Rare Siamese Crocodiles Hatch In Cambodia In A Conservation Win Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.