"Rahul Gandhi took support of terrorist organization to contest his election in Wayanad": Smriti Irani

Irani, while speaking to the reporters here accused the Congress MP of "insulting" the people of Amethi, a parliamentary seat which once considered to be Congress' bastion, but is currently being represented by her.

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took the support of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kerala's Wayanad, his current parliamentary seat. Irani, while speaking to the reporters here, accused the Congress MP of "insulting" the people of Amethi, a parliamentary seat which once considered to be Congress' bastion, but is currently being represented by her.

"We have received this information that Rahul Gandhi took the support of terrorist organization PFI to contest his election in Wayanad. When you read the chargesheet filed in the context of PFI, you will get to know that the organisation had planned to kill Hindus in every district. Rahul Gandhi should tell the people of Amethi why is taking the help of PFI that plans to kill Hindus...He insulted Amethi. PM Narendra Modi developed Amethi and the people of Amethi will bless PM Narendra Modi," she said. While the BJP has announced that Irani will seek re-election from Amethi, the Congress is yet to declare its candidate for the seat.Rahul Gandhi had lost to Irani in the 2019 general elections.

The Union Minister further said, "BJP workers know that the Gandhi family will come to contest elections from Amethi. PM Narendra Modi sends ration to 19 lakh citizens in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, if the Gandhi family is against Narendra Modi, so these 19 lakh citizens who are getting free ration, what will the Gandhi family say to these families?... I went to Wayanad a few days ago and got the information that Rahul Gandhi has declared Wayanad as his family...Yesterday a Congress leader said that Rahul Gandhi chose Wayanad because Rahul Gandhi says that the people of Wayanad are more loyal. So what about the loyalty of Amethi?" Significantly, Rahul Gandhi is locked in a triangular fight in Wayanad where his principal rival is CPI's Annie Raja.

While the CPI and the Congress are partners in the opposition INDIA bloc, the two parties are fierce contenders in Kerala with both parties pitting their strongest candidates against each other. The BJP which is leaving no stone unturned to establish its complete dominance in the 2024 elections, has fielded Kerala State President K Surendran as a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate from the constituency.

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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