The decision of former Congress party president, Rahul Gandhi, to contest from the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh alongside his existing seat in Wayanad, Kerala, has gotten a range of reactions among the people of Wayanad.
Elections for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat were conducted on April 26, and residents of the region expressed varying sentiments regarding Gandhi's dual candidacy.
While some viewed his decision as justifiable, taking into consideration his leadership position within the Indian National Congress (INC) and the broader "INDIA bloc," others voiced concerns about the potential consequences of his victory in both constituencies.
One local from Wayanad said , "There is nothing wrong with Mr. Gandhi's decision to contest from two seats. He is leading the INDIA bloc, and hence there is nothing wrong in it," reflecting a sentiment of support for Gandhi's dual candidacy.
However, another individual raised apprehensions, stating, "If he wins from both seats, it's most likely that he will vacate the Wayanad seat. If he does that, then it might not look good for us. Anyway, let us wait.”
In contrast, veteran Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader PK Kunhalikutty defended Gandhi's decision, emphasising that there was nothing inherently wrong with contesting from multiple constituencies. Kunhalikutty highlighted the IUML's request to the Congress party's national leadership for Gandhi to contest from an additional seat, drawing parallels with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's past candidacy in two seats.
In the 2019 polls, Rahul Gandhi secured victory in Wayanad but faced defeat in the Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh. This election, he is up against CPI leader Annie Raja and the state BJP president K. Surendran in Wayanad.
This year he is up against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh in Raebareli. Singh has been picked up by BJP for the second continuous time to contest from the constituency.
(with inputs from agencies)