CPI Leader Annie Raja Says Party Yet To Decide Candidate For Wayanad, Praises Congress For Choosing Woman

Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja who was defeated by Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi in the Wayanad constituency at the Lok Sabha polls has said that the party has not decided the candidate for the upcoming bypoll as Congress announced their candidate on Monday.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced that Rahul Gandhi who won from both Wayanad and Raebarelli seats in LS polls will give up his seat in Kerala and his sister Priyanaka Gandhi will contest in bypolls as her electoral debut.

Raja speaking to ANI revealed that there is still time to decide on a candidate as the date for bypolls has not been announced yet.

She said, “Rahul Gandhi and Congress have decided and announced that they will retain Rae Bareli and leave Wayanad. Whether I will contest or not again, will be my party's decision. Elections have not been announced so far…so we have plenty of time to discuss the candidate in the party and among the LDF."

CPI is part of Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).

Kerala's principal opposition alliance is the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

Annie Raja further shared her thoughts on Congress choosing a female candidate for the seat and asserted that the Parliament must have ‘more and more’ women representatives.

“I am happy that the UDF has announced a female candidate for the constituency,” she said.

In the previous 2019 general elections, Rahul Gandhi secured victory in the Wayanad constituency with 647,445 votes, followed by CPI's Raja in second place with 283,023 votes, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

K Surendran, the Kerala unit president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), came third with 141,045 votes.