Rahul Gandhi files nomination in second-choice constituency Wayanad

Wayanad: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday filed his nomination for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. Rahul Gandhi accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra landed in Kalpetta by a helicopter this morning and headed to the district collectorate office.

Apart from Wayanad, the party president will also be contesting from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh where he will face BJP nominee and Union minister Smriti Irani.  Out of 20 Lok Sabha seats, Congress will be contesting from 16 seats from Kerala leaving four seats for its allies – two for Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and one each for Kerala Congress (Mani) and Socialist Party (RSP).

The Congress chief was received at the airport by former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy and other leaders of the Congress-led alliance in the state. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi spent the night at a guest house in Kozhikode.