Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Wayanad

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday filed nomination for contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad in Kerala.

Accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul reached the Wayanad district collectorate at Kalpetta town by around 11.30 am and submitted the nomination to Wayanad district collector and returning officer A R Ajayakumar.

It is for the first time that a member of the Nehru family is contesting from Kerala.

Hence a rousing reception was accorded to Rahul at Wayanad by thousands of party workers from various parts of Kerala and nearby Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as well.

Party workers could be seen marching to Kalpetta town from early hours of Thursday. They shouted slogans supporting Rahul Gandhi and against BJP-RSS. As the helicopter carrying Rahul Gandhi flew over Kalpetta town by around 11 a.m, the emotions of the crowd went beyond control. Even the popular Azadi slogans were raised. Being a district dominated by plantation workers and farmers, many shouted slogans hailing the offer of Rahul for a separate Kisan budget.

Rahul who reached the neighbouring city of Kozhikode on Wednesday night, held talks with senior party leaders on the poll strategies to be adopted in Kerala, especially since the BJP-RSS and Left-front are trying to give a communal colour to Rahul's Wayanad candidature by alleging that he was eyeing Wayanad as it was a safe seat owing to Muslim dominance in the constituency.

On Thursday morning Rahul proceeded to the high-range district Wayanad by helicopter. The SPG and Kerala police made tight security arrangements especially in view of left-wing extremist threat prevailing in the region.