KALPETTA: It was a day for emotions — love, integrity and family bonding— and not raw politics for Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, who addressed a gathering at Gudalai in Wayanad on Wednesday before she filed her nomination papers for the November 13 Lok Sabha by-poll.
Barring an oblique reference to the ‘divisive politics’ of the BJP government, the speeches of the Gandhi siblings were packed with feelings intended to strike an emotional chord with the voters. Rahul recalled that his sister was a pillar of strength for Sonia Gandhi after the death of Rajiv Gandhi.
“When my father died, it was my sister who looked after my mother. She was only 17 years old when my father died and I am confident my sister will sacrifice anything for the family. Why I am telling this is because Priyanka considers the people of Wayanad as her family,” Rahul said. He also said there will be two representatives for Wayanad in the Lok Sabha if Priyanka is elected. “I will be the unofficial representative and Priyanka the official face,” he said.
Priyanka, who is making her electoral debut in the bypoll, said her first campaign was for her father in the 1989 elections when she was just 17 years old. “It has been 35 years. I have campaigned for my mother, brother and for many colleagues. This is the first time I am asking (votes) for myself,” she said.
Lashing out at the criminal politics pursued by those in power, she said the foundations of Indian society are built on emotions like empathy, non-violence and love propagated by different religions. “These are the values that we are fighting for today. These are the values that moved my brother to take out a yatra for more than eight thousand kilometres,” she said.
Almost all senior Congress leaders, including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, her mother Sonia, Rahul, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, were in the district to witness Priyanka’s official entry into electoral politics. Priyanka filed three sets of nomination papers before District Collector D R Meghasree, the returning officer.
She reached the collectorate after an impressive road show from Kalpetta bus stand to Gudalai. Thousands of UDF workers greeted her on either side of the road. Rahul, IUML state president Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty,
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, KPCC president K Sudhakaran and other leaders travelled in the vehicle for around 1km.
I am here to fight for you, says Priyanka
In his address at the public meeting earlier, Rahul said even from their childhood days Priyanka had the habit of going any extent to help her friends. She did it not expecting anything in return but just because she wanted to do it, Rahul said. Showing the rakhi on his hand, Rahul said it symbolises the brother’s protection for his sister. “I request the people of Wayanad to look after and protect my sister,” he said.
Priyanka said: “You stood by my brother when the whole world was turning their back on him. You gave him strength and the courage to fight.”
On the burning issues faced by Wayanad including lack of medical facilities, night traffic ban and man-animal conflict, she said Rahul has briefed her about all those things. “But I want to come to houses and areas directly and understand things straight from you. This is the new journey for me and you are my teachers and guides,” she said.
Priyanka said she stood with her family when it was needed most. “Now you are my family and I am here to stand with you and fight for you,” she said.
After filing the nomination, Priyanka and Rahul went to Puthumala and offered floral tributes at the graves of those killed in the July 30 landslides. Priyanka, who reached Wayanad along with Sonia by road from Mysuru on Tuesday night, began her campaign even before reaching her hotel in Sulthan Bathery, with an unplanned visit to the house of a resident, Thressia Kumarankulam.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) workers were seen enthusiastically waving green flags during the roadshow. It may be recalled the party workers had the ignominy of avoiding the flags during the campaign of Rahul as the Congress feared that their presence would spark a backlash in North India during the elections.