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IANS
Wayanad, Kerala
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday filed nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad amid an outpouring of support from thousands on the streets, leading the party to claim it will sweep all 20 seats in Kerala.
Thousands of men and women, and even the young, packed the streets of Wayanad as Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by his sister and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, reached the Collector’s office, filed his papers and then held a road show to frenzied slogan shouting by party supporters.
At least three journalists fainted in the heat -- and Rahul Gandhi helped people to carry one of them on a stretcher to an ambulance.
Before returning to Kozhikode, he explained that his decision to contest from Wayanad -- a backward district in Kerala bordering both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu -- was aimed at sending a message that India was one.
He told the media: “I have come to Kerala to send out a message that India is one. I feel there is an assault on all institutions by (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. So I decided I will contest from south India and also from north India.”
Gandhi, who will also be a candidate from his traditional seat Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, accused Modi of ignoring the main issues: lack of jobs and farmers’ plight.
He said he had nothing against Kerala’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).
“I know the CPI-M and Congress are locked in a fight here and it will go on. But I am not going to say a word about the CPI-M. They will attack me and let them do that.”
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05/04/2019
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