- By Vivek Raj
- Tue, 27 Feb 2024 03:05 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Communist Party of India (CPI), a key constituent of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, has made a major announcement ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Senior party leader Annie Raja, serving as the general secretary of the party’s National Federation of Indian Women, has been nominated as the CPI's candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
Notably, Wayanad is currently represented by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Despite being part of the Opposition's INDIA alliance, the CPI's move underscores underlying tensions within the opposition bloc.
CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat highlighted Annie Raja's pivotal role in the 'Mahila Andholan' and declared her candidacy as a unified effort of the entire LDF. Karat's statement urged Rahul Gandhi and the Congress to reconsider their electoral strategy, cautioning against intra-alliance contests that could dilute the opposition's collective strength against the BJP.
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"Rahul Gandhi and Congress need to think, they say that their fight is against BJP. In Kerala, if you come and fight against the Left, what message are you giving? So they need to think about their seat once again," Brinda said.
Despite being part of the Opposition INDIA bloc with the Congress, which secured the Wayanad seat with a substantial margin of 4.3 lakh votes in the 2019 elections, the CPI has publicly called on Rahul to seek another constituency. This move raises questions about Rahul Gandhi's electoral prospects in Wayanad.
In the previous Lok sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi lost his long-held bastion Amethi but secured a win on the Wayanad seat after contesting on both the seats. "The Congress should make clear, what is its politics? Do they want to see the RSS-BJP defeated or do they want to see the Left cornered and defeated?" Annie Raja said, as quoted by Indian Express.
In addition to the Wayanad nomination, the CPI has announced its candidates for four out of the total 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. Senior party leader Pannyian Raveendran will contest from Thiruvananthapuram, while former state minister V S Sunil Kumar and C A Arun Kumar have been nominated for Thrissur and Mavelikkara seats, respectively.
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The CPI's decision to contest these seats underscores its commitment to the LDF's electoral strategy in Kerala, where traditional dynamics pit the LDF against the United Democratic Front (UDF). However, the absence of a formal INDIA alliance in Kerala questions the clarity within the opposition camp.
