Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad again, said All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Tariq Anwar, who is in charge of Kerala, on Wednesday, November 29. He made the announcement while speaking to a leading TV channel.
"Of course he will contest from Wayanad. He has so much affection for the people of Wayanad and vice versa," said Anwar. Asked if Rahul will contest a second seat from north India, he said, "I don't think so, but then being a senior leader of the party, it's for him to decide," he said.
Regarding the reports that AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, who has represented Alappuzha twice in the Lok Sabha in the past, might contest again, Anwar said the party is not too keen. He pointed out that Venugopal did not contest even in 2019 as he was busy working for the party, and this time will not be different. Venugopal is presently a member of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.
When asked if sitting MP from Kannur and also state party president K Sudhakaran will contest, Anwar replied that it's for him to decide.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Kasaragod Lok Sabha member and Congress veteran Rajmohan Unnithan said the AICC hasunofficially indicated that 15 sitting MPs of the party from Kerala will contest again, while Sudhakaran might not.
Kerala has 20 Lok Sabha seats and in 2019, barring Alappuzha, the Congress-led UDF won 19 seats. Midway, however, Congress ally Kerala Congress (Mani) party shifted their allegiance to the CPI(M)-led Left, as a result of which Kottayam Lok Sabha member Thomas Chazhikadan belonging to that party is now a Left Democratic Front (LDF) MP.
Meanwhile, after leading a high-octane campaign in five states of Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Mizoram, Rahul Gandhi reached Wayanad on Tuesday night on a four-day trip. Party leaders said that Rahul will stay there till December 1 and participate in several programmes.
On Tuesday, the last day of campaigning in Telangana, Rahul interacted with gig workers, sanitary workers, and auto drivers and heard their problems. He also held a joint road show with his sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra besides addressing a joint public meeting.
The leader will be returning home on December 1 night, three days prior to the Parliament's Winter Session on December 4. In the past 45 days, he has addressed several public meetings in the five states which went to the polls recently.
Counting of votes in Telangana will take place on December 3.