KALPETTA: Who is the candidate of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat? Depends on who you ask.
If the Republic Party of India (Athawale), or RPI(A), is to be believed, it is the party’s national vice-president Nuzarath Jahan who will take on Congress leader and sitting MP Rahul Gandhi and LDF candidate Annie Raja in the constituency. However, the BJP Kerala leadership refutes this. The RPI(A) is the NDA’s ally at the national level. RPI(A) president and Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale had announced Nuzarath’s candidature from Wayanad on March 12 in a video uploaded on social media. In it he called Nuzarath a “very active politician in Kerala” and that the party was giving her the ticket for the Wayanad LS seat. “Like Smriti Irani defeated Rahul in Amethi, Nuzarath will defeat him in Wayanad,” Athawale is heard saying in the video.
The BJP leadership in Kerala has refuted this. “BJP has no alliance with RPI(A) in Kerala. Our candidates are decided by the national leadership. We cannot approve any self-proclaimed candidates in Wayanad,” BJP Wayanad district president Prasanth Malavayal told TNIE. Prasanth confirmed that a BJP candidate will be fielded in Wayanad. “We negotiated back the Wayanad seat from BDJS. It is certain a BJP candidate will contest against Rahul Gandhi. I saw RPI(A)’s announcement on some online media platforms. However, the BJP in Kerala is yet to get any confirmation from the party leadership,” Prasanth said.
RPI(A) state secretary Sunil Mannath, however, said there was no confusion over the NDA candidate in Wayanad. “We are expecting an official announcement from the BJP leadership within a few days,” Sunil told TNIE.