CPI’s demand for Rahul Gandhi to pull out of Wayanad constituency unfair: K Sudhakaran

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI’s demand for Rahul Gandhi to pull out of the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming polls is unfair, said Kerala Congress Pradesh Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran. He added that the state unit had conveyed its interest in Rahul’s candidacy in Wayanad to the high command.

He said that the Congress wants Rahul to contest from Kerala itself and that there is no difference of opinion within the party on this issue.

CPI and Congress are part of the INDIA alliance. CPI contests from Wayanad as part of the Left Democratic Front. The constituency is a stronghold of Congress. Rahul was fielded in 2019 in addition to Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The Left parties had criticised Rahul for choosing to contest against the Left stating it would water down the opposition to BJP. However, in 2019, there was no alliance like INDIA. Though the parties have said that there will not be any seat sharing in Kerala where Left and Congress are the major forces, Rahul’s candidacy in the state in 2024 may become a headache for the alliance nationally.

Sudhakaran said that he did not want to criticise the CPI's demand and that it is up to the alliance to decide whether to accept it or not. He said the demand had not to be met only because there is an alliance.

Meanwhile, Sudhakaran refused to comment further on his dispute with the leader of the opposition in the Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan. He said that he does not want any credit for the Congress' victory in the Puthuppally byelection and that he does not do anything for credit, but for the party. He added that there was no argument with Satheesan and that they are still good friends.

His response comes amidst two video clippings from a press conference following the Puthupppally result that has gone viral on social media. In a video, Sudhakaran and Satheesan were seen arguing about who would speak first at the press conference.