TRIVANDRUM: Congress workers and leaders in Kerala want party president Rahul Gandhi to retain the Wayanad seat when he gets elected from both Amethi and Wayanad, senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy has said.
"We all wish for that and would request him to retain Wayanad. It is up to him to take a final call," Chandy said at a meet-the-press programme organised by the Kesari Memorial Journalists Trust here on Friday.
Chandy said that Rahul Gandhi's response to the CPM's indecent attack against him revealed his quality. People love leaders who show patience towards criticism and focus on development activities.
Chandy said Rahul's fight was against the BJP. Wayanad was chosen following a demand to contest in South India. Rahul's contest will help to prevent the BJP from gaining a foothold in South India, Chandy said.
Floods
While calling for a judicial inquiry into the reasons that led to the 2018 floods, Chandy said that the government failed to raise the dam shutters between August 1 and 14 despite the IMD issuing a heavy rain forecast.
He also cited a TN government affidavit in the SC quoting the Kerala government's State Load Disptach Centre. "The affidavit said the SLDC's website showed that the outflow from Idukki dam was 390 million cubic metre on August 15, 2018. But now, the website shows the figure as 111.24 MCM," Chandy said.
"It is important to know the exact figure. If it was 390 MCM, the outflow was 45 lakh litre per second. And if 111.24 MCM, the outflow would be 13 lakh litre per second," he said.
Premachandran
Chandy said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's latest remark against UDF leader NK Premachandran has ensured the latter's win. "I wonder why the CPM is mad at him since it had a clear majority in all assembly constituencies coming under the Kollam LS seat?" he asked. The LDF's hate campaign against Premachandran will only benefit him, Chandy said.
On LDF convenor A Vijayaraghavan's sexist remarks against UDF candidate in Alathur Remya Haridas, Chandy said: "The people were more angered when the leader refused to withdraw his comment"
MK Raghavan
Chandy said that allegations against UDF candidate in Kozhikode MK Raghavan did not have evidential support.
Andhra Pradesh
In Andhra Pradesh, Congress will see a big increase in vote share this year. There is no big expectation in terms of seat since the party is contesting alone. The party will make it big in 2024 elections, he said.