In the high-profile Lok Sabha seat of Wayanad, Kerala, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded its state president K. Surendran as the candidate against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. Surendran filed his nomination on Thursday, with Union Minister Smriti Irani by his side. During the event, Irani launched a severe attack on Rahul Gandhi.
Irani pointed out that at the Congress's nomination rally on Wednesday, the flags of the Indian Union Muslim League were hidden. This, she stated, indicates that Rahul Gandhi is either ashamed of the League's support or wants to conceal the association with it during his temple visits in North India.
She was surprised to find support for Rahul Gandhi from the SDPI, the political wing of the banned extremist group PFI, even after the ban. Every candidate must swear loyalty to the Indian Constitution before filing nominations, but by accepting SDPI's support, Gandhi has betrayed his oath, Irani declared.
According to Irani, if Gandhi is so embarrassed by the League's support to the point of hiding the flag in his nomination rally, he should also reject the party's support outright.
"They embrace in Delhi and beg in Kerala," she said, suggesting that the alliances that seem reconciled in the capital are clamoring for power in Wayanad. She asked people to question who their leader and prime ministerial candidate are. If Gandhi is not accepted in the Indie Alliance, how can he be accepted in Wayanad?
Irani posed the question of why Rahul Gandhi opposes Sanatana Dharma in South Indian politics, only to visit temples in the North during elections.
Irani added that there were no Muslim League flags in Gandhi's Wayanad roadshow – a fact he would boastfully convey in North India claiming his devotion to Lord Ram. She challenged Gandhi to affirm his devotion to Lord Ram alongside the saffron flag.
What was said about Amethi?
Visiting Wayanad, Smriti Irani also spoke about Amethi, where she defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019. She is contesting again from Amethi, stating that having been an RSS volunteer in a region dominated by the Gandhi family for fifty years was tantamount to courting death.
Irani mentioned that four lakh families in Amethi received toilets for the first time under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure. Now, Gandhi is attempting to deceive the people of Wayanad just as he did with the families of Amethi by calling them his own.
Voting in Kerala Scheduled for April 26
Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination from Wayanad on Wednesday. In 2019, Gandhi won the seat by over four lakh votes. He faces K. Surendran of BJP and Annie Raja from CPI this time.
Ever since its creation after the 2009 delimitation, Wayanad has been a secure seat for Congress, who has won it in three subsequent elections. Kerala has 20 Lok Sabha seats and will go to polls on April 26 in a single phase.
Lok Sabha Elections to be Held in Seven Phases
Like the last time, the Lok Sabha elections will take place in seven phases. The first phase will begin with voting on April 19, followed by polls on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.
