Kerala Assembly polls: Congress trying to cash in on popularity of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi

With most of the pre-poll surveys predicting bleak chances for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the April 6 Kerala Assembly polls, the Congress camps are trying to cash in on the popularity of party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to reverse the trends.

While the BJP is bringing in top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the general feeling is that Rahul and Priyanka are pulling more crowds than the BJP national leaders.

All candidates of Congress-led UDF want to have either of the Nehru scions for their campaigns. Priyanka had to skip a campaign at Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram, the lone sitting seat of BJP in Kerala, owing to her hectic schedule on Tuesday.

However, following pressure from Congress candidate K Muraleedharan, Priyanka is learnt to have decided to visit again on April 3.

Also read: Assembly polls results to mark beginning of Congress's comeback to Delhi in 2024

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul wave prevailed in Kerala especially as he contested from Wayanad in North Kerala and there was wide speculation that he may become the prime minister if the Congress returns to power. There is no such wave in the state right now, but Rahul and Priyanka are perceived to be influencing the voters.

Anshad, a native of Pathanamthitta district, said the Congress did not draw much support in the locality during the initial weeks of the campaign, but the scenario changed after the recent roadshow of Rahul.

Video footages of people from various sections of the society, right from children to aged people, showing love and affection toward Rahul were widely circulated by the Congress camps on social media. This also seemed to have cheered the Congress camps.

N Badusha, an environmentalist in Wayanad, said though no Rahul wave was felt in the region now, this could change after the former Congress chief campaigns in the district. It could brighten the chances of the UDF candidates in Wayanad as well as in parts of the nearby Malappuram district which falls under the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.

Political analyst C A Josukutty said the national leaders need not have a direct influence on the voters’ mindsets, but the visit of star campaigners would help the party to energise the workers and make them active in the campaigns.