THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi will kickstart the UDF’s poll campaigning in the state capital on February 23, coinciding with the culmination of the Aishwarya Kerala Yatra.Though the yatra, led by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, was scheduled to conclude on February 22, it has been extended by a day because of Rahul’s inconvenience.
During the event, Rahul will also launch the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme, which was proposed during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Rahul is also expected to hold a roadshow from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram after the poll dates are announced.“In all likelihood, Rahul Gandhi is expected to hold a roadshow in his car on the lines of his Tamil Nadu event. Priyanka Gandhi will also be a star campaigner,” KPCC general secretary K P Anil Kumar told TNIE. Apart from Kerala, elections will be held in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry.
Since Rahul represents Wayanad in Parliament, the stakes are high for him in the assembly polls. The AICC aims nothing short of a win for the Congress-led UDF in Kerala and has conveyed the message to the state leaders. By making Rahul the star campaigner in the assembly elections, the AICC hopes to pull off a victory this time.
Congress wants to recreate ‘Rahul wave’
The Congress high command wants to recreate the “Rahul Wave” of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections which saw the UDF winning 19 of the 20 seats. It will chart Rahul’s campaign itinerary soon. The KPCC leadership is elated over the response the Aishwarya Kerala Yatra has been evoking. It hopes to convert the momentum into votes.“The Yatra has completed 10 days and the response from the public has been tremendous,” yatra coordinator V D Satheesan said and added the concluding meeting of the yatra is likely to be held at the Green Field Stadium.