Wayanad (Kerala): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Monday that her brother Rahul Gandhi undertook the Bharat Jodo Yatra for unity and peace, as people have become hopeless about the BJP’s ‘negative power’ and propaganda.
“When many people believed that there was no hope left. And we all were wondering what to do. How are we going to fight this immense negative power of the BJP and the propaganda they were spreading? My brother decided to walk 4000km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in the name of unity and peace,” Priyanka Gandhi said while speaking at an election rally in Wayanad.
“It is you who gave him the courage to do that to walk 4,000 km and then travel from Manipur to Mumbai, another 4,000 KM speaking of peace, love and brotherhood in an atmosphere where hatred was being spread, anchor was being spread and divisions were being spread between people of India,” she added.
She pointed out that Wayanad has a history of freedom fighters who fought the Britishers.”You have a history of freedom fighters who fought the Britishers. You have a culture and tradition of unity…This land of yours has a rich tradition, history, immense natural beauty and potential,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Priyanka Gandhi was seen interacting with the voters of Wayanad during her election campaign.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar slammed Rahul Gandhi, saying that the by-election was thrust on the people due to the latter’s” betrayal”.
“People of Wayanad are now going for a by-election that is being thrust on them because of the betrayal of Rahul Gandhi. After he was sent away by the people of Amethi in 2019 was welcomed and received with a warm heart by Wayanad people and given an opportunity to be an MP but in the 5 years, he did nothing for Wayanad. He betrayed the Wayanad people after seeking vote for the second time, he did not tell them till election that he is also going to contest in Uttar Pradesh,” Chandrasekhar told.
“We don’t need tourist MP. We need Navya Haridas who comes from an ordinary background…she will be here in Wayanad, 24/7, 365 days, knows Malayalam and is from Kerala. She will serve the people of Wayanad as an MP than Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will ever do,” he added.
Wayanad, a Congress bastion, is going to see a contest between Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi, BJP’s Navya Haridas and the Left candidate Sathyan Mokeri in the upcoming bypolls.The bypoll in the constituency was necessitated as Rahul Gandhi decided to vacate the seat and keep the Rae Barel seat following his win from both seats in the general elections held earlier this year.
The by-election to Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency is scheduled to be held on November 13.