K Surendran said Rahul Gandhi has done nothing for Wayanad (File)
In Wayanad, a constituency from where Rahul Gandhi won by a margin of over four lakh votes in 2019, his rival this time is BJP Kerala chief K Surendran, who said that the Congress MP would face "the same outcome as in Amethi".
In Kerala, K Surendran has been named by the BJP for the Wayanad constituency from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting to retain his seat. The Left Front has fielded senior CPI leader Annie Raja.
The BJP's central leadership announced Mr Surendran's candidature on Sunday to take on two senior leaders of the INDIA bloc - Rahul Gandhi and Annie Raja. The NDA candidate could manage a meagre 7.25% vote share in 2019.
Talking to the media, K Surendran emphatically said Rahul Gandhi would face the same fate in Wayanad as he encountered in Amethi in 2019.
"Wayanad is a constituency where there is a development crisis. Rahul Gandhi has done nothing for the constituency. He will meet the same fate in Wayanad as he encountered in Amethi last time," he said.
Rahul Gandhi won the last time defeating CPI's PP Suneer with a margin of over 4.31 lakh votes. An ally of the BJP, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), had fielded its chief Thushar Vellappally, who could get only 78,816 votes in Wayanad.
"The central leadership has entrusted me with a responsibility. They have asked to take up the fight in Wayanad constituency. The people of Wayanad will definitely ask why the senior leaders of the INDIA bloc are contesting each other in the same constituency," K Surendran said.
Meanwhile, Annie Raja said the Left parties do not decide candidature based on opposing candidates.
The BJP-led NDA was the last to announce the candidate for the Wayanad seat. The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) had announced Ms Raja's candidature long before the Congress.
"We are much ahead in campaigning. We have reached out to all sections of society. The voters' response boosts our confidence," she said.
The mountainous district of Wayanad faces multiple issues, including a rise in human-animal conflict, among other factors, which may sway voters.
The ruling CPI(M) and the Opposition Congress in the state have been seeking to amend the Wildlife (Protection) Act, a central law, to deal with animal attacks. The BJP and the Centre claim that the provisions are adequate and the state government needs to implement them properly.
Rahul Gandhi first contested from Wayanad in 2019 besides contesting from Amethi. He lost Amethi to BJP's Smriti Irani.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)