Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, gearing up to file his nomination papers for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, conducted a vibrant roadshow on Wednesday in Wayanad, Kerala, where he secured a resounding victory in the 2019 Parliament polls with an impressive margin exceeding four lakh votes. The event attracted throngs of party supporters and workers.
Accompanying Rahul Gandhi were his sister, Priyanka Gandhi, along with AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Deepa Dasmunshi, as well as Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan and KPCC acting president M M Hassan.
Annie Raja, the Communist Party of India (CPI) Lok Sabha candidate from Wayanad, also filed her nomination on the same day. The CPI, a constituent of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, presented Raja as their candidate, setting the stage for a competitive electoral battle.
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Despite being allies within the opposition INDIA bloc, the CPI and the Congress are fierce rivals in Kerala, each fielding strong candidates against the other. This contest has drawn criticism from leaders such as Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who questioned Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest against Annie Raja, a prominent left leader nationally.
Vijayan highlighted Raja’s vocal opposition to the BJP government, particularly concerning issues like the situation in Manipur, contrasting it with what he perceived as Gandhi’s less visible presence in national protests. Such sentiments were echoed by Subhashini Ali of the CPI (M), who questioned why Gandhi chose to contest from Wayanad instead of directly confronting the BJP in its stronghold, Uttar Pradesh.
The upcoming election in Wayanad holds significance, considering Rahul Gandhi’s previous victory by an overwhelming margin in 2019. With Rahul Gandhi and Annie Raja both vying for the seat, the electoral landscape promises an engaging contest.
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In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi secured an impressive victory in Wayanad, garnering over 4.31 lakh votes, the highest margin in Kerala. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a significant victory in the state, winning 19 out of 20 seats, with the CPI (M) clinching one seat in Alappuzha.
As the election fervor builds, all eyes are on Wayanad, anticipating another intense electoral showdown between the Congress and the Left Front, with the BJP also fielding a candidate, Kerala State President K Surendran, from the constituency.
