Congress president Rahul Gandhi will contest from Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha constituencies in the upcoming elections apart from Amethi which is the constituency he is a sitting Member of Parliament. The Congress announced the development on Sunday.
“I am announcing one of the happiest news. Rahul Gandhi will also contest from Wayanad in Kerala,” party leader A.K. Antony said at a party briefing here.
Antony said that there had been continuous request from Congress workers and also from the allies that Gandhi should contest from a seat in the South.
“This demand was made from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There were deliberations here also. After that we requested Rahulji that ignoring the unanimous demand of southern states is not correct. Finally, he has given his consent,” he said.
In addition to Amethi, UP, Congress President @RahulGandhi will also be contesting from Wayanad, Kerala, for the Lok Sabha 2019 elections.
— Congress (@INCIndia) March 31, 2019
On the other hand, CPI-M leader Prakash Karat said that Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) will work to defeat Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
In a video message, the former Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) chief said Congress’s decision to field Gandhi from Kerala went against the party’s “stated commitment” to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Here are few points to know about Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency elections:
- North Kerela is considered as the strong hold of the grand old party, the city is 450 km away the state capital and the home of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
- Congress have won the last two general elections here. In 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections MI Sanavas came out as victor for the party, He died on 21 November 2018 in Chennai, following complications from a liver transplant.
- Rahul Gandhi will be facing the CPI candidate P P Suneer
- Election in Wayanad will take place in the third phase along with Kasaragod, Kannur, Vadakara, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram
- The district has Maoists’ presence.
- The constituency was carved out in 2008.
