Smriti Irani campaigns in Wayanad, alleges Rahul taking support from PFI's political leadership

After holding a mega road show with Kerala BJP chief and candidate from Wayanad, K Surendran ahead of his nomination on Thursday, Union Minister Smriti Irani came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi and alleged him of taking support from the leaders of the banned outfit Popular Front of India.

After holding a mega road show with Kerala BJP chief and candidate from Wayanad, K Surendran ahead of his nomination on Thursday, Union Minister Smriti Irani came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi and alleged that he was taking support from the leaders of banned outfit Popular Front of India. K Surendran filed his nomination on Thursday from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.

"I am shocked after coming here to Wayanad that even after the ban of a terror outfit like PFI, Rahul Gandhi is taking support from PFI's political leadership. Every candidate before filing his nomination needs to swear by an Oath of Allegiance to the Indian Constitution. Rahul Gandhi falsified his oath to the Indian Constitution when he took support from the political leadership of the PFI for his elections," said Irani. Irani further labelling some serious allegations said that Muslim League flags were hidden in the Congress party nomination rally indicating Rahul getting support from Muslim League.

Union Minister Smriti Irani said, "Muslim League flags were hidden in the Congress party nomination rally yesterday indicating that either Rahul Gandhi is ashamed of getting support from the Muslim League or when he visits North India and visits temples, he will not be able to hide his association with the Muslim League." "There is hugging in Delhi and begging in Kerala which needs to be explained. Why do the alliance leaders meet in Delhi and there seems to be no animosity, but when it comes to the seat of Wayanad, there is competition, she added.

Smriti Irani's campaign in Wayanad, which is also the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, is being seen as Irani's challenge to Rahul Gandhi as she has defeated Rahul from Amethi, which used to be a stronghold of Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, Kerala BJP chief, K Surendran while speaking to ANI said, "The Wayanad people are now realising the wonders Smriti Irani has done in Amethi in the last five years... Amethi had nothing for five decades because of Rahul Gandhi. Everywhere his behaviour is like that... Is fighting with the support of PFI considered democratic and constitutional? PFI is anti-constitution and anti-Indian. 'Saath mein ladna aur bhashan dena, ye nahi chalega'."

Kerala, one of the few states where the Congress still has a strong presence, sends 20 parliamentarians to the Lok Sabha. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi won from Wayanad with a huge margin of over 4.31 lakh votes; the highest margin in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. He secured 64.94 per cent vote share defeating LDF candidate PP Suneer. The NDA had fielded BDJ(S) leader Tushar Vellapally who secured just around 78,000 votes which accounted for a mere 7.25 per cent.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 out of 20 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. While the Congress won 15 seats, its allies Indian Union Muslim League won two seats, the Revolutionary Socialist Party won one and the Kerala Congress (M) won one seat. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) won one seat in Alappuzha. Voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the South Indian state across all 20 seats is scheduled for April 26, while the counting of votes will take place on June 4. (ANI)

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