In a hard-hitting speech, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate in the Wayanad parliamentary bypoll, on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for trying to destroy the Constitutional values of equality, justice and secularism.
Addressing a corner meeting in Cherukode in Wandoor Assembly constituency in Malappuram district, she said that when such politics become powerful in a country, then there is no focus on resolution of the problems faced by the people in their daily lives.
Priyanka also highlighted issues such as lack of basic drinking water, education and healthcare facilities in Wayanad.
The Congress leader said that she was a “fighter” and if given a chance will fight for the people of Wayanad in the parliament and every other platform to ensure their issues are resolved.
“I will not back down. I will fight for you. I will not disappoint you. We are family now,” she said.
Priyanka, sister of Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, claimed that the last 10 years saw a politics of divisiveness in the country by the BJP, which tried to distract the people from their real problems to stay in power.
The Congress leader, on the fourth day of her five-day bypoll campaign in Wayanad constituency, further alleged that under the BJP rule, there was no support system for farmers or medium and small businesses in the country.
“Small and medium businesses are the backbone of the country’s economy. They provide a lot of employment. But they need support, just like the farmers,” she said.
She also reiterated that despite Wayanad producing high-quality agricultural products, including spices, many farmers see no future in agriculture, with residents, including students, migrating abroad for better job opportunities and higher education.
Priyanka resumed her second campaign phase on Sunday, holding public and corner meetings alongside her brother, Rahul Gandhi, in the hill constituency.
The Congress general secretary, who is making her electoral debut, is scheduled to leave Kerala on Thursday.
Priyanka officially launched her campaign for the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election on 28 October. Priyanka emphasised her commitment to the constituency, promising frequent visits and sharing personal anecdotes to connect with voters.
“When I came here with my brother after the landslides, I understood how a community came together to help people,” she said. During her campaign, she criticised the BJP-led central government for not providing landslide relief funds to Wayanad and accused it of divisive politics.
The Wayanad constituency comprises seven Assembly segments, namely, Mananthavady (ST), Sulthan Bathery (ST), and Kalpetta in Wayanad district, Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district and Eranad, Nilambur, and Wandoor in Malappuram district. The by-election for the Wayanad seat is scheduled for 20 November.
Meanwhile, Rahul will begin his poll campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday in Nagpur, where he will attend a “Samvidhan Sammelan” (Conference on Constitution).
Later in the day, he will attend a public meeting in Mumbai where the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) poll guarantees are expected to be announced.
The symbolism of choosing Nagpur is crucial as it is not just the headquarters of the RSS, the ideological parent of the BJP, but also the place where BR Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in 1956.
Nagpur is in the larger Vidarbha region which is of strategic importance in the battle for Maharashtra.
Of the 76 constituencies where the BJP and the Congress are engaged in a direct contest, 36 are in Vidarbha, which is the state’s cotton belt. Of all the regions in the state, the BJP has fielded the most in Vidarbha (47), and dealing it a blow here will go a long way in paving the way for the MVA’s return to power in the state.
Vidarbha used to be a traditional Congress stronghold but the party lost its grip on it as the BJP won 44 of the 62 Assembly constituencies and the party was reduced to 10.
AM Abdussalam