(Online Desk)
Accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the AICC President Rahul Gandhi has filed his nomination papers from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala.
Apart from Priyanka, senior Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik, also accompanied the Congress party chief to file the papers before the district collector A R Jayakumar, at the district headquarters.
Heavy security was in place and around the Collectorate ahead of the high profile visit of the Congress chief.
But, Rahul’s decision to contest from down south, upset the CPM-led Left Front government in the state, the BJP appears feels more than happy as he (Rahul) fled the traditionally family seat, Amethi.
Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Amethi since 2004.
Union Minister Smriti Irani, who fought unsuccessfully in 2014 losing to the dynast member with little over lakh votes, this time around more than confident to snatch it away in her party’s favor?
Fearing possible defeat, which may cause embarrassment to the party as well to the dynasty members, wise men in the party apparently suggested him to find another alternative ‘safe’ seat in the southern states. Though, many expected he may fight from Karnataka, yet the party decided to field him from a minorities dominated Wayanad, as the safest bet for their leader.
The CPM-led LDF members have already expressed their displeasure towards the Congress leader’s decision. They feel lost of one potential seat, though it has been a bastion of the Congress since quite some time.
That the Left-Congress relations got further strained with the party’s latest decision is also evident from CPM leader Sitaram Yetchury’s outburst, though not against his nomination at Wayanad, but to that party’s manifesto, which opened an opportunity for Modi to return back to power, with some of their manifesto assurances.
Wayanad was won by Congress candidate M I Shanavas in 2009 and 2014. His sudden demise last year, fell vacant the since then.