Kerala Congress invites Rahul Gandhi to contest from Wayanad LS seat

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 23: Kerala Congress has invited party president Rahul Gandhi to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.

All India Congress Committee General secretary Oommen Chandy said, " Congress President Rahul Gandhi to contest from one of the seats in Kerala. The seat on offer is Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi's response is expected anytime today."

Oommen Chandy, said, "We're requesting Rahul Gandhi to contest from South India. We requested him to contest from Wayanad constituency. We hope decision will be positive. I've discussed it with the proposed candidate for Wayanad constituency and he welcomed it."

Wayanad constituency was carved out in 2008 during the restructuring of constituencies from Kannur, Malappuram and Wayanad constituencies. Congress leader ML Shahnawaz had won the last two elections from there. He died six months ago after a brief illness.

Congress leaders from Southern states have been pressurizing Rahul Gandhi to contest on second parliamentary constituency. Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and other state leaders wanted Rahul Gandhi to contest from the state.

While Indira Gandhi had scripted her political comeback from Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka by winning Lok Sabha bypolls in 1978, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi had contested and won from Ballari in 1999, trouncing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Sushma Swaraj.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram has, however, called for Rahul Gandhi to contest from Tamil Nadu.