‘Injustice to Wayanad’, cries CPI’s Annie Raja as Congress fields Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli

Annie Raja, CPI candidate from Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency contesting against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday, May 3, said it is an "injustice to voters" after the senior Congress leader filed his nomination from Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli – his mother Sonia Gandhi's bastion before she became a Rajya Sabha member.

Annie Raja said that it is about political morality and by not informing the Wayanad voters of his intention, Rahul Gandhi was being "unjust" to them.

Also read: How the ‘reluctant’ Rahul Gandhi was persuaded to contest from Raebareli, Congress party's ‘safest’ seat

“In a parliamentary democracy, an individual can contest from more than one seat so he is using that democratic right. Now his filing nomination from Raebareli is an injustice to the voters of Wayanad.” news agency ANI quoted the CPI leader as saying. 

She questioned Rahul Gandhi's political morality suggesting that his intention to contest from Wayanad and Raebareli would be unjust to voters as she added, "It is unjust to the voters because he never mentioned even once that he intends to contest another seat simultaneously. It is about political morality." 

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In Wayanad Lob Sabha constituency, the elections were held on April 26 in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls. Rahul Gandhi is the sitting MP in Wayanad who is seeking a fresh term from the seat and also filed his nomination from Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli on May 3. The Raebareli Lob Sabha constituency will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth phase.

The CPI leader further noted that it is important to speak truth to the voters and the final decision should be left with the voters.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli: Congress party's strategy behind the move explained

On the last date of nomination filing, Congress announced Rahul Gandhi's candidature from its stronghold Raebareli and alongside fielded Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi seat.

She further claimed that contesting from two constituencies at the same time is "not any political issue" nor does it “make any difference in a democratic setup” irrespective of Rahul Gandhi choosing to contest from Raebareli or Amethi. “This is a democratic setup and no constituency is permanent for any candidate,” she said.

(With inputs from ANI)