Annie Raja said, 'In the present political scenario, it is essential for a prominent leader like Rahul Gandhi to work in the Hindi heartland.'
Rahul Gandhi speaking in Malappuram.
Senior CPI leader Annie Raja, who had contested against Rahul Gandhi in the recent Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad, on Monday, 17 June, welcomed his decision to retain the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh and said it was a necessity in the present political circumstances prevailing in the country.
She said Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party took the decision to vacate one of the constituencies as per the existing laws of the country.
“In the present political scenario, it is essential for a prominent leader like Rahul Gandhi to work in the Hindi heartland. So, there is nothing wrong in the decision,” she told television channels.
The BJP in Kerala continued to mock the Congress and said the grand old party may consider her husband Robert Vadra in the upcoming by-poll in Palakkad Assembly segment.
BJP state chief K Surendran and senior leader V Muraleedharan criticised the Congress leadership over their decision and alleged that they had cheated the people of Wayanad.
When asked whether there was any chance for Priyanka Gandhi to contest as a common candidate of the India alliance, Raja said it was the collective decision taken within the alliance that in Kerala, the LDF and the UDF would contest independently in accordance with the political situation in the state.
Any change in the decision can be made only by the INDIA formation and its respective member parties, she said.
“It is happy to know that the Congress party has decided to field a woman in the bypoll. The representation of women in the Lok Sabha has come down this time compared to the previous year. So, I wish more women should come,” she added.
The CPI leader’s reaction came soon after the Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced in New Delhi that Rahul will keep the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and vacate the Wayanad seat from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest.
Surendran mocked the decision of Congress and said the grand old party was considering the state as a political ATM.
Surendran who fought against Rahul in Wayanad in the 26 April Lok Sabha polls, targeted the Congress party and said the BJP had predicted that the “perpetually missing MP” has betrayed the trust of the Wayanad people.
“The BJP’s prediction came true: the perpetually missing MP has finally decided to vacate the Wayanad seat, betraying the trust of its people. @RahulGandhi and the@INCIndia only turn to Kerala when in dire straits for political gain, falsely claiming Wayanad as his second home.
“The honest and lovable people of Kerala deserve better than to be exploited and abandoned. For Congress Kerala is nothing but a political ATM #RahulBetrayedKerala,” Surendran posted on X.
The BJP’s prediction came true: the perpetually missing MP has finally decided to vacate the Wayanad seat, betraying the trust of its people. @RahulGandhi and the @INCIndia only turn to Kerala when in dire straits for political gain, falsely claiming Wayanad as his second home.… pic.twitter.com/FnRMlLW6wB
— K Surendran (@surendranbjp) June 17, 2024
Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Muraleedharan said the people of the state won’t accept the Congress party’s attitude that there is no need to show any democratic decorum or justice towards them.
He alleged that Rahul Gandhi had cheated the people of Wayanad by covering up his plans to contest from Rae Bareli until the polls were over in the state.
“I request the people of Wayanad to give a reply to this attitude of the Congress party using their democratic power in the upcoming by-poll,” he said.
Rahul had won both from Wayanad and Rae Bareli constituencies and he had to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, which came out on 4 June.
(With PTI inputs)
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