Wayanad Set for Leader’s Rally Post Disqualification

Rahul Gandhi will visit Wayanad on Tuesday along with his sister and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. This is the first time since his disqualification from the Lok Sabha that the Congress leader will meet people in his former constituency.

The Gandhi siblings will hold a road show and a conference in Kalpetta during their visit. Local reports stated that the road show will commence from SKMJ Higher Secondary School at 3 pm. The rally is expected to witness the participation of thousands of people from various parts of the Lok Sabha constituency.

Several leaders, including AICC general secretaries KC Venugopal, Tariq Anwar, Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, KPCC president K Sudhakaran, Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, PK Kunhalikutty, NK Premachandran, CP John among others will participate in the event.

It is being said that the party workers will use national flags instead of party flags in the rally. Some reports stated that a letter written by Gandhi will also be distributed to the voters across Wayanad.

Last week, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) terminated the free internet connection and telephone services provided to Gandhi’s office.

BSNL officials said that the action to disconnect the phone number 04936 209988 and the internet connection at Kainatty office in Kalpetta was taken in accordance with the directions from BSNL office in Delhi.

Rahul Gandhi lost membership in the Lower House of Parliament after a Surat court convicted and sentenced him in a 2019 criminal defamation case. The case pertains to a remark he made using the surname ‘Modi’ while addressing a campaign event ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

As a consequence, Wayanad’s former lawmaker will no longer get the facilities extended to MPs, including the official residence in Delhi. A hearing on Gandhi’s appeal against the conviction is scheduled for April 13.

While a bypoll is expected in the Lok Sabha constituency, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar has said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is in no hurry to announce the byelection.

Kumar indicated that the Election Commission would wait as Gandhi has been given a 30-day window to challenge the conviction in appellate court. “The EC is not into politics,” Kumar said while announcing elections to the Karnataka assembly.

“Under section 151 of the Representation of People’s Act, the Commission has six months to hold polls to the constituency of Wayanad. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi has been given thirty days by the trial court to exercise judicial remedy. So we will wait. There is no hurry,” the chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar added.

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