Thousands of supporters flocked to India’s foremost opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, as he led a campaign procession before formally submitting his nomination for the upcoming parliamentary election commencing this month.
Gandhi, aged 53, hails from a lineage of former prime ministers, being the son, grandson, and great-grandson of such leaders. However, despite his political pedigree, his Congress party has faced significant setbacks, suffering two landslide defeats against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Leading the opposition alliance, Gandhi faces an uphill battle in the forthcoming polls against Modi, who retains broad popularity after a decade in power and is expected to comfortably secure re-election.
Nevertheless, Gandhi received an enthusiastic reception in Wayanad, a picturesque town in Kerala, as a large crowd gathered to cheer his arrival.
Addressing the gathering from atop a truck alongside his younger sister Priyanka and party cadres, Gandhi expressed his sentiment, stating, “I don’t think of you as my electorate but as my family.”
Following the rally, Gandhi formally filed his nomination to contest for the Wayanad seat at the local election office. He previously won this constituency in 2019, although he faced disqualification last year due to a conviction for criminal libel. However, he was reinstated pending a Supreme Court appeal.
Gandhi’s decision to recontest the seat has stirred some tension within the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), of which Congress is a part. His primary rival in Wayanad is the outspoken left-wing candidate Annie Raja of the Communist Party of India, also a member of the INDIA bloc.
Criticism has emerged from Raja’s allies, who have questioned Gandhi’s decision not to challenge an established BJP candidate in another constituency.
With the election set to begin on April 19 and nearly a billion Indians expected to vote in seven phases, the outcome will be closely watched. Vote counting is scheduled for June 4.
