Rahul Gandhi bats for woman CM in Kerala, rides bicycle

In a rally in Puthuppally, Rahul Gandhi emphasized the need for a woman chief minister in Kerala, promising support for women's empowerment.

Published on: Mar 30, 2026, 20:50:23 IST

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday drew loud cheers from the crowd when he said he was looking forward to Kerala having a woman chief minister.

Rahul Gandhi's remarks, coupled with a bicycle ride alongside local candidates, drew enthusiastic responses from the crowd. (PTI file photo)

Addressing a rally in Puthuppally here, Gandhi spoke about the guarantees announced by the Congress if it comes to power, including free KSRTC bus travel for women and a monthly assistance of ₹1,000 for college-going girl students.

He said the Congress wants women to be active participants in Kerala's development.

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"In fact, we are looking forward to the day when we have a woman chief minister of Kerala," he said, drawing a loud response from the crowd.

He also remarked that men were not clapping enough for the statement.

"We want women of Kerala to fulfil their dreams. Whatever they want to do, we want them to succeed," he said.

He said the Congress would ensure that women have the freedom to go wherever they want and pursue the jobs they choose.

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"For this purpose, our guarantees include free travel for women in KSRTC buses," he said.

No woman has so far been elevated to the post of Chief Minister in Kerala, despite prominent leaders, including K R Gouri Amma, playing significant roles in the state's politics.

In this election, the Congress has fielded only nine women candidates out of 92, while UDF allies, the Indian Union Muslim League, have fielded two women candidates, and KK Rama of the Revolutionary Marxist Party is also contesting the April 9 poll.

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After the event in Puthuppally, Gandhi joined sitting MLA Chandy Oommen and the Congress candidate for a bicycle ride.

Oommen has been riding a bicycle as part of his election campaign.

Both rode for a few miles, giving security personnel a tough time as they had to run behind them.

Crowds gathered on both sides of the road cheered the leaders.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.