Priyanka Gandhi promises to press NDA & Kerala Govts for rehabilitation of displaced families in Wayanad

AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said she would press both Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the NDA regime at the Centre to step up rehabilitation of victims of the recent landslides in Wayanad.

Gandhi Vadra, who wrapped up a two-day tour of Wayanad, after thanking voters for electing her with a huge margin, said she would fight for the rehabilitation that the displaced families deserved as this was a crisis above politics.

Wayanad district is returning to normalcy after about 250 persons died in disastrous landslides caused by rains and swollen streams on July 30, destroying homes and livelihoods. Gandhi Vadra has vowed to rebuild their lives.


On Saturday, she addressed voters in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts and visited the three remaining constituencies in Wayanad district on Sunday.

The first-time MP called for efforts to promote the tourism potential of Wayanad by putting the tragedy behind. She wanted to send a clear message to tourists that it was safe to visit Wayanad as the tragedy struck only a small part of the district.

The 52-year-old AICC leader, who succeeded Rahul Gandhi as Wayanad MP, accused the BJP-led NDA of weakening the democratic institutions, and vowed to work to strengthen them. “We want to strengthen all the values of our Constitution,” she said, adding that the UDF, INDI alliance and the Congress were all engaged in a big battle to save the institutions of democracy from the BJP. On Saturday, she had said that the Congress would work to establish a fair, balanced and strong judiciary that is not under pressure.

She repeated the charge the Congress consistently made against the BJP during the run up to the November 13 bypolls in Wayanad that the national party gave all the powers and resources to its “friends,” while adding that the Congress wanted to give this power to people.