In Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi hits out at BJP but avoids any reference to CPI

On the last leg of his campaign in Wayanad, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday devoted his 15-minute speech to attacking BJP and asking voters to send in possible solutions to local problems. BJP has neither fielded a candidate nor has a strong base in the region.

Gandhi avoided any reference to CPI’s PP Suneer, who is locked in a straight contest against him, thus implementing in letter and spirit what he had said after his first roadshow in Kalpetta that he would not mention the Left in his rally. Wayanad goes to the polls on April 23.

But the Left leaders, including Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, have not been soft on Gandhi. “The Left is in power in 29 of the 50 panchayats in Wayanad; out of the seven assembly seats, we hold four. There is no way we will let go of this opportunity to win the seat,” said PG Somanathan, CPI secretary in Sultan Bathery, one of the seven assembly segments.


EB Manoj, 50, an agriculturist in Noolpuzha panchayat, as well as Atul Dev, a 20-year-old college student in Moolankaavu, both in the Bathery assembly segment, insisted the Congress leader will record a hat-trick win for his party.