THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A section of Left leaders in Delhi are busy trying to convince the Congress leadership about the political incorrectness behind the move to field Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
Sources said a section of Left leaders in Delhi are in touch with Congress leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad to make the party do a rethink on the choice of Wayanad. While the Congress leaders from Kerala are keen on getting Rahul to contest from the state to enhance their winning prospects, a section of Congressmen in Delhi agree with the Left view that the decision could send a wrong message on the eve of a crucial electoral battle against BJP-Sangh Parivar combine.
They say the Left parties particularly CPM had climbed down from its earlier position of having no electoral understanding with the Congress. The tie-up in Tamil Nadu and the attempts made in West Bengal for electoral adjustment were aimed at maximising the pooling of anti- BJP votes in tune with the political tactical line adopted by the last party Congress in Hyderabad.
Though the Congress leadership has been maintaining that Amethi will continue to be Rahul's "karma bhumi" and he would win the seat hands down, political observers say with Narendra Modi and Amit Shah personally focusing on Gandhi bastion and Smirit Irani raising the battle cry, there is no room for complacency. Already the BJP-Sangh Parivar has unleashed a spirited campaign in Amethi saying Rahul is looking for a safe seat in the face of imminent defeat. It goes without saying that Wayanad fits the bill as the safest seat for the party president.
The Left on the other hand may be posing questions to Congress president as to who is his enemy No 1 the BJP or the LDF, but it is keeping its fingers crossed on the Rahul effect.
The Congress president's presence in the electoral fray is certainly going to galvanize the UDF cadre. With the Congress set to sell the slogan "vote directly for your next PM" many do not rule out the possibility minorities consolidation in favour of the UDF.
For public consumption though the Left leaders are saying irrespective of the candidate Wayanad is set to witness a strong political battle.
