BJP Kerala chief K Surendran, who has been pitted against Rahul Gandhi in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, on Monday (March 25) said that the Congress leader would face “the same outcome as in Amethi” where he had to suffer defeat at the hands of BJP’s Smriti Irani in the 2019 general elections.
Surendran’s name was listed in the fifth list of candidates by the BJP released on Sunday evening, thus making the fight in Wayanad, where Rahul Gandhi will recontest from, interesting. It will be a tripartite contest as the Left Front has also fielded senior CPI leader Annie Raja. Notably, the NDA candidate could only garner 7.25 per cent of votes in the last Lok Sabha polls in the constituency.
What did Surendran say?
Talking to the media after the announcement of his candidature, Surendran said that Rahul Gandhi would face the same fate as he did in Amethi the last time.
"Wayanad is a constituency where there is a development crisis. Rahul Gandhi has done nothing for the constituency. He will meet the same fate in Wayanad as he encountered in Amethi last time," Surendran said.
Rahul Gandhi had won the last time defeating CPI's PP Suneer with a margin of over 4.31 lakh votes.
An ally of the BJP, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), had fielded its chief Thushar Vellappally, who could get only 78,816 votes from Wayanad.
"The central leadership has entrusted me with a responsibility. They have asked to take up the fight in Wayanad constituency. The people of Wayanad will definitely ask why the senior leaders of INDIA alliance are contesting each other in the same constituency," Surendran said.
What did Raja say?
Meanwhile, Annie Raja said the Left parties do not decide candidature based on opposing candidates.
The BJP-led NDA was the last to announce the candidate for the Wayanad seat.
The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) had announced Annie's candidature long before the Congress party.
"We are much ahead in the campaigning. We have reached out to all sections of society. The response of the voters boosts our confidence," she said.
The mountainous district of Wayanad faces multiple issues, including a rise in human-animal conflict, among other factors, which may sway voters.
The ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress in the state have been seeking to amend the Wildlife (Protection) Act, a Central Act, to deal with wild animal attacks.
The BJP and the central government claim that the provisions are adequate and the state government just needs to implement them properly.
Rahul Gandhi first contested from the Wayanad seat last time when he stood from Amethi as well. He lost Amethi to BJP's Smriti Irani.
(With PTI inputs)
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