A suggestion made during internal discussions at the recent national executive meeting of INDIA bloc member CPI that senior leader Rahul Gandhi not seek re-election from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in 2024 has annoyed the Congress, especially its Kerala unit.
CPI Rajya Sabha MP P. Sandosh Kumar’s reported remarks from September 19 that Mr. Gandhi’s return to Wayanad could be taken as a sign of weakness, given the changed political situation in the country from 2019, found few takers in the Congress.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal dismissed the suggestion, saying it is the prerogative of the party’s Central Election Committee to decide on candidature and “no one else needs to have an opinion on this”. State Congress chief K. Sudhakaran called the suggestion “unfair”, insisting that the Kerala unit wants Mr. Gandhi to contest again from Wayanad.
