Priyanka Could Face Defeat in Wayanad: CPI's Viswam

Thiruvananthapuram: The Communist Party of India (CPI) Kerala state secretary, Binoy Viswam, criticized Priyanka Gandhi and the Gandhi family for treating Wayanad as merely a stopover.

Viswam suggested that just as Rahul Gandhi lost in Amethi, Priyanka could face a similar defeat in Wayanad.

He claimed that the people who attended Priyanka's Wednesday roadshow were not local, but brought in from places like Kozhikode and Coimbatore. "After the roadshow, everyone simply said 'Tata- Bye Bye' and departed. They (Priyanka and Rahul) might visit Wayanad two or three times until the elections, and that's all," he told mediapersons in Kalpetta on Thursday.

The CPI leader alleged that Rahul Gandhi did not utter a word about vacating Wayanad constituency till he won. Is this child's play ? he asked

"If Priyanka Gandhi gets a seat in Delhi, she too will say goodbye to Wayanad," Viswam said.

CPM politburo member A Vijayaraghavan stated that for the Congress, the Left is the sole adversary. During an LDF candidate Sathyan Mokeri's election event in Kalpetta, he emphasized that political and electoral battles are not personal but are based on the ideological and political stand of the parties involved.

He urged party workers to engage with every voter in the constituency. Vijayaraghavan also warned about media portrayal, remarking, "They will broadcast everything except the politics. Expect hugs, visits to tea shops, and snacking on papad vada," alluding to Priyanka Gandhi's recent interaction with an elderly woman in Wayanad.

Earlier, CPI candidate Sathyan Mokeri filed his nomination papers at the Collectorate. He was escorted in a large procession by LDF workers and leaders. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, national leader Annie Raja, and district leaders of the LDF accompanied him.

BJP candidate Navya Haridas also submitted her nomination papers on Thursday. She was joined by former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan and BJP general secretary M.T. Ramesh.