Rahul Gandhi is not coming to fight BJP in Kerala, but LDF: Pinarayi Vijayan takes swipe at Congress

Kerala State Congress urged its national president to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad constituency and since then the Congress leadership in Delhi indicated that Gandhi was strongly considering the proposal.

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Reacting to the information with a sharp rebuke, Vijayan said that in Kerala, the LDF was the main political force. (File photo)

Hours after Kerala state Congress unit urged its national president Rahul Gandhi to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad constituency, Chief Minister and CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday asked the grand old party to clarify what message it was sending out by asking Gandhi to contest from the state.

“In Uttar Pradesh, SP-BSP alliance is unarguably the main political force, whereas in Kerala it is the LDF. Gandhi is not coming to fight the BJP here, but the LDF,” CM Vijayan told reporters in Kannur.

READ | Rahul Gandhi should contest Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad, urges Kerala Congress unit

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Vijayan further said Gandhi’s arrival is not going to have a major impact in the state and exuded confidence that the LDF still has a stronghold in most constituencies, “His (Rahul’s) arrival in Kerala, I believe, is not going to have a major impact in the electoral battle. But, with this move, the Congress would be sending out a message that it is not the BJP they are fighting, but the LDF. Congress needs to think what is the message they are trying to send out to the nation,” Vijayan added.

As Congress national leadership in Delhi indicated that Gandhi is seriously considering Wayanad, the party leaders in Kerala are excited. Congress-led UDF convener Benny Behanan said a formal announcement would come soon. Read more elections news

Addressing the media at Pathanamthitta, AICC General Secretary Oommen Chandy earlier today said there is a demand from party leaders that Gandhi should contest from any of the South Indian Lok Sabha seats and added that “we have requested Gandhi to contest from Wayanad seat.” However, he also said, “He (Gandhi) has not commented on the request so far. But we expect that there would be a positive response.”

Earlier this month, Congress had announced that Gandhi would contest from his mainstay Amethi while his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi would contest from Rae Bareli.

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