Kalpetta, the district headquarters of Wayanad and an otherwise silent town, was a hive of activity on Thursday. Congress National President Rahul Gandhi filed the nomination for his second seat of Wayanad in Kerala. Accompanied by his sister and National General Secretary of Congress, Priyanka Gandhi and other prominent state party leaders, Rahul Gandhi’s vehicle cruised through the busy roads of Kalpetta, amid a sea of supporters.
Visibly ecstatic over Rahul’s candidature, supporters, workers and local party leaders from various districts arrived in Kalpetta early on Thursday morning. They waited for hours outside the SKMJ Higher Secondary School to see his chopper land there. The sloganeering reached its peak as the helicopter became visible mid-air. People jostled to catch a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi.
Arriving on a helicopter from Kozhikode, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi (also the party in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh) drove to the Wayanad Collector's office some 500 meters away to give the former’s nomination, all the while cheered by people on both sides of the road. Amid tight security, only a few people were allowed to go in to the Collector's office with them.
This was followed by the roadshow, where the Gandhis boarded an open jeep, accompanied by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, Congress Working Committee member Oommen Chandy and Congress leader KC Venugopal. And as Rahul and Priyanka waved to the crowd from their vehicle, the crowd cheered on.
Police personnel found it tough to handle the surging crowds. The situation became more difficult whenever Rahul Gandhi shook hands with supporters.
There was a high volume of workers from both the Congress as well as the Indian Union Muslim League, the Kerala Students Union and the Youth Congress.
Rahul and Priyanka had also received a grand reception when they arrived at the Karipur International Airport in Kozhikode on Wednesday evening.
The Congress on Sunday had announced that Rahul Gandhi will be contesting from Wayanad, putting an end to week-long speculations and political debates surrounding it. The Congress had earlier chosen T Siddique to contest from the seat. With one of its significant decisions, Congress has indeed changed the poll scenario of the state.
In addition to Wayanad, one of the economically backward regions of Kerala, Rahul Gandhi is contesting from the traditional Congress stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
(With inputs from IANS)