WAYANAD: Kerala's hill constituency of Wayanad shot to fame after the Congress fielded Gandhi from here in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
His candidacy in Wayanad was a source of energy for the state's Congress-led UDF then.
Riding on the "Rahul wave" among various other factors, the UDF then won 19 out of a total of 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, bucking an otherwise national trend of Congress being forced to a not-so-impressive show when the BJP further added to its strength of 282 in 2014 and crossed the coveted 300-seat mark.
Ahead of the April 26 Lok Sabha polls, the predominantly rural constituency, known for its scenic beauty and rich biodiversity, has once again gained national attention as the Congress decided to field Gandhi again from its stronghold.
The political class is curious to know whether Rahul's presence in Wayanad would help the Congress repeat its victory in the polls in Kerala.
In 2019, Gandhi contested from Wayanad in addition to his traditional constituency, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
He won the election from Wayanad by a margin of over four lakh votes but lost Amethi to Smriti Irani of the BJP.
Interestingly, this time, the fight in the Wayanad constituency is between two partners in the INDIA formation constituted to take on the BJP at the national level, generating interest among the political class.
Gandhi's main rival in the constituency in the upcoming polls is Annie Raja of the CPI, who is also a prominent woman face of the Left in New Delhi.
The BJP-led NDA has not announced its candidate yet.
The constituency boasts of a diverse demographic profile, featuring a substantial population of tribal communities, notably the indigenous Paniya, Kurichiya, and Kuruma tribes.
Its economic backbone is supported by key industries such as agriculture, tea and coffee plantations, and tourism.
One of the main issues that the parties are discussing in the Wayanad region are the increasing incidents of human-animal conflicts.
Other issues, including the notification of Citizenship Amendment Act, defections from the Congress to the BJP, and allegations against the CPI(M)-led LDF government, are also expected to be widely discussed by the voters of the constituency before casting their votes.