NEW DELHI: Congress stakes in Karnataka elections will be best reflected in the amount of time party president Rahul Gandhi would spend on the campaign trail. And, in the end, he may clock a high 23-24 days with road shows and rallies.

Rahul Gandhi would return to Karnataka next week for four days over two trips on April 3-4 and April 7-8, focusing on the Bangalore region.

He would start from Shimoga, the stronghold of BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa , and travel to Chitradurga. The Congress president would end the travel with a big public rally in Bangalore.

It would mark the end of Rahul's participation in "Jan Ashirwad Yatra" which would have taken him to key regions of Karnataka over 14 days.

Sources said the Congress team, led by AICC general secretary in-charge KC Venugopal and campaign committee chief DK Shiva Kumar, has planned a two-phase programme for their star campaigner which would stretch to the last days of electioneering.

While the first leg comprises "Jan Ashirwad Yatra", which would end in Bangalore on April 8, the second phase may only contain public rallies and would be launched after the selection of candidates for the coming polls.

Sources said Rahul is likely to spend eight or nine days in the next part of canvassing during which he would address as many as 20 public meetings.

