Kerala Assembly polls: Rahul Gandhi likely to visit Wayanad on Wednesday

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit his constituency Wayanad in Kerala for two days starting Wednesday. The visit comes in the wake of Assembly elections in the state in April-May.

According to new agency ANI, the Kerala unit of the Congress party has sent a proposal urging Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi to campaign for the polls.

Last week, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) constituted the election management and strategy committee, reported ANI. Party leader Oommen Chandy was appointed as the chairman of the committee, the news agency further said.

Other members of the committee include Mullappally Ramachandran, Ramesh Chennithala, KC Venugopal, Tariq Anwar, K Muraleedharan, VM Sudheeren, K Sudhakaran, Kodikunnil Suresh and Dr Shashi Tharoor.

"This committee shall meet frequently to discuss matters related to electioneering, co-ordination, and formulation of election strategies," general secretary KC Venugopal had said in a release.

The Congress high command had recently summoned Chandy and two other top leaders of Kerala to Delhi to discuss recent local body debacle and possible re-jig in the state unit ahead of assembly elections.

For Congress, Kerala is a crucial state. In the last Lok Sabha election, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had won 19 out of 20 seats and going by the poll history of the state, where incumbents never get a chance to continue in power, it may be the turn of the UDF but local body results really worry the party. It failed to make use of mounting corruption charges, high-profile gold smuggling case and narcotic drug allegation against the son of a senior ruling party leader, the party feels.

Many youth and women leaders have also sought more representation to them. They cite the recent appointment of 21-year-old Arya Rajendran as the Mayor of prestigious Thiruvananthapuram Corporation by the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist). But many old war horses said winability should be the sole criteria while selecting candidates and it should be a proper mix of seasoned and new leaders.

The youngsters feel that Rahul Gandhi will have a decisive say in selection of candidates. The party is unlikely to project a leader but it may ask Chandy to take a proactive role in the election.