Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday filed his nomination papers from Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. Rahul, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and other senior party leaders including AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, submitted his nomination papers to the Wayanad District Collector who is also the Returning Officer.
After submitting the papers, he read out the oath to uphold the Constitution which concluded the submission process. Rahul arrived in Wayanad by helicopter in the morning and then held a roadshow from Kalpetta to Civil Station here before reaching the District Collector's office to submit his nomination.
Prior to reaching the collector's office, he addressed the public towards the end of the roadshow. The Congress MP said that he is always with the people of the constituency on all issues, including the human-animal conflict which has claimed many lives in this district.
Rahul, the sitting MP of Wayanad, also said that he was always ready to bring the issues being faced by the people of the hill constituency to the attention of the nation and the world. The Congress MP, who is contesting in the coming Lok Sabha polls from the Wayanad constituency, was speaking to the thousands, including party workers and supporters, who had gathered to be part of his roadshow held here.
He also said that Wayanad was his home, the people were his family and the land, with its beautiful history and traditions, his "guiding light". "I am deeply grateful to the people of Wayanad for their unwavering support. As we step into a new era of 'Nyay', I want to reaffirm my dedication to serving each and every one of you to the best of my abilities," he said.
Thousands of people, including UDF leaders and workers, turned up at Kalpetta here to welcome Rahul who arrived here to file his nomination papers for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul held a roadshow from Kalpetta to Civil Station. Thousands of people, including party workers and supporters, across all age groups carried party flags and placards with the Congress MP's photograph and balloons in the party colours and gathered on the roadsides to welcome him.
Rahul will be contesting against CPI leader Annie Raja and BJP state president K. Surendran from the Wayanad LS constituency. He had won from the same seat in 2019 with a massive margin of over four lakh votes.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi won after polling 7,06,367 votes out of a total of 10,92,197 with his closest rival -- CPI's P.P. Suneer -- receiving only 2,74,597 votes. Voting in Kerala for the Lok Sabha polls this year will be on April 26.
