Will work to ensure defeat of Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, says Prakash Karat

New Delhi, Mar 31: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will contest Lok Sabha elections 2019 from Kerala's Wayanad constituency, the party announced on Sunday (March 31). Rahul Gandhi will contest from Wayanad constituency along with Amethi. The party had earlier announced that Rahul will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi seat of Uttar Pradesh.

Reacting to it, the former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said,"Decision of Congress to field Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad shows their priority is to fight against Left in Kerala. It goes against Congress's national commitment to fight BJP, as in Kerala it's LDF which is the main force fighting BJP."

"To pick a candidate like Rahul Gandhi against Left means that Congress is going to target the Left in Kerala. This is something which we will strongly oppose and, in this election, we will work to ensure the defeat of Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad," he further said.

Kerala's Wayanad seat is a stronghold of the Congress. The seat was won by Congress leader MI Shanawaz in 2009 and 2014. This is the first time Rahul Gandhi will contest from a seat other than his family bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi picked Kerala's Wayanad as his second seat for Lok Sabha 2019 to "tell South India that it is important for the Congress".