“I don't want to have a relationship for a couple of months. I want to have a lifelong relationship with you,” said the Indian National Congress (INC) President, Rahul Gandhi as he addressed a mammoth gathering at Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad district of Kerala on Wednesday morning.
Rahul Gandhi also met the family of Sree Dhanya, who became the first person from Kerala’s Kurichiya tribal community to crack civil services exam.
The Congress President, who is contesting from the Wayanad constituency seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections had been on an election campaign trail for the United Democratic Front (UDF) from Tuesday onwards as he addressed election meetings in Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kollam.
Thousands had gathered at Sulthan Bathery beating the summer heat to listen to Rahul Gandhi speak and they were not disappointed as the Congress President was all praise for Wayanad during his speech.
“I wanted to send a message to the rest of the country that there is a place called Wayanad where everyone lives happily. There is a place called Wayanad where people work together peacefully to solve their problems,” said Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress leader said that it is the love and affection and the spirit of the people of Kerala and Wayanad that is going to show Narendra Modi what the country of India is all about.
“I’m not like the Prime Minister of India,” stated Rahul Gandhi. “I will not come here and tell you that I will give you 2 crore jobs, I will give 15 lakh rupees to all bank accounts. I will not lie to you. Because I respect your intelligence. I respect your wisdom and understanding,” he said.
Congress president @RahulGandhi along with other Congress leaders in Kerala met Sreedhanya, who was the first person from a #Wayanad tribe to clear civil service exam. @thenewsminute #Kerala pic.twitter.com/0wZrMRxBVR
— Korah Abraham (@thekorahabraham) April 17, 2019
By stating that he is not looking for a short term relationship with Wayanad and instead, he is looking to have a lifetime relationship with the place, he added that, “I want the sisters of Wayanad to say that I’m like their brother. I want the mothers and fathers to say that I’m like their son. And that kind of relationship cannot be built on lies. It has to be built on truth.”
The state of Kerala goes to polls on April 23 and with the arrival of Rahul Gandhi to contest as a UDF candidate from the Wayanad constituency, it has become yet another constituency which will be watched closely along with other constituencies like Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram, where a close triangular contest is expected between the UDF, LDF and the NDA.