CPI candidate Annie Raja files nomination from Wayanad challenging Rahul Gandhi

Annie Raja, CPI candidate, challenges Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, Kerala, emphasizing on people's issues over political rivalry.

Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate from Wayanad, Annie Raja filed her nomination against Congress’ sitting MP and candidate Rahul Gandhi on April 3. Ms. Raja also held a roadshow in the constituency ahead of filing her nomination.

“You can see the LDF workers and cadres, and the general public. We are all happy that today is a very important day of the election — filing of nomination,” Ms. Raja said speaking to ANI while participating in the road show.

Speaking about Mr. Gandhi, who is Congress party’s key candidate from Wayanad, Ms. Raja said that she is not worried about his fate and only reaching out to people by informing them about her party’s stand on national issues. “I, as a Left Front candidate, am contesting here to win. I am not bothered about what will be his majority or his fate. We are here, we are reaching out to people. We are telling them, what is our politics, our position on all national issues, the question of fascism, Sangh parivar...Our confidence is with the people and their response. We are confident, we are here to contest and win...,” the CPI candidate said.

Complaining of the alleged negligence of Wayanad by Mr. Gandhi, Ms. Raja said, “People are coming to me and saying that they never voted for that symbol [Congress party’s] before the last election but they were told that he would become the Prime Minister. So they voted for him. But what happened?”

“The name Wayanad has only four letters in Malayalam. In five years, he has not even uttered the name of his constituency once,” she stressed.

Ms. Raja filed her nomination on the same day Mr. Gandhi is also slated to file his nomination. The CPI is a partner of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala. While the CPI and the Congress are partners in the opposition INDIA bloc, the two parties are fierce contenders in Kerala with both parties pitting their strongest candidates against each other.

Mr. Gandhi bagged 7,06,367 votes from Wayanad with 64.7% vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. CPI candidate P.P. Suneer who came second got 2,74,597 votes securing 25.1% vote share.