April 4, 2019
KALPETTA: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday filed his nomination
papers for the parliamentary election from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency as
a second seat apart from his pocket borough of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. This
is the first time Rahul is contesting from an additional constituency. Wayanad
will go to the polls on April 23 and Amethi on May 6.
Priyanka Gandhi, his sister and a new entrant in the party, accompanied him.
Priyanka Gandhi joined the party in January as one of its general secretaries
in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
In the morning, he arrived by helicopter and reached Kalpetta, the district
headquarters and filed the papers. Both had arrived in Kozhikode, separately,
on Wednesday night and halted there overnight.
A massive gathering of party workers greeted the broither-sister duo at the
Kalpetta Collectorate office waving party flags. There was heavy security at
and around the office premises.
A roadshow was also held thereafter, accompanied by a band performance, marking
his election campaign.
The party had announced last week that Rahul will be contesting from Wayanad
as well for Parliamnet. He has been the MP from Amethi since 2004.
Earlier the BJP had remarked that Rahul was filing papers from a second constituency
because he was not sure of Amethi seat and was running away from there.
However, Rahul retorted that he was fighting from Wayanad because "South India
feels hostility from Narendra Modi. I wanted to send the message that I am standing
with you."
Modi had also hinted at a public rally that the Hindus were against Rahul and
that is why he is contesting from a constituency where the "majority is in a
minority".
The NDA has fielded Thushar Vellapally of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena against
Rahul in Wayanad.
