Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi — now the MP from Wayanad and AICC General Secretary — are expected to visit Wayanad later this month to lay the foundation stone for 100 homes promised to survivors of last year’s catastrophic landslide.
The homes are part of a rehabilitation commitment Rahul Gandhi made in August 2024, in the aftermath of the July 2024 disaster that wiped out four villages, claimed over 280 lives, and left nearly 80 people missing. The landslide displaced over 8,000 residents, many of whom were sheltered in relief camps. Around 6,000 were rescued in one of the region’s worst natural calamities in recent memory.
Rahul and Priyanka had visited the affected areas on August 1, 2024, where they met survivors, toured the devastation, and held talks with local officials and Congress leaders. Moved by the tragedy, Rahul pledged that the Congress party would build 100 houses for those rendered homeless.
The Kerala government has since earmarked land for the housing project, and the upcoming foundation stone ceremony marks the start of the construction phase. During his visit last year, Rahul Gandhi emotionally linked the loss felt by survivors to his own personal grief following his father Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, saying:
“What I felt when I lost my father is unbearable, but what these families feel is worse — entire families have been wiped out.”
Rahul stepped down as Wayanad MP after choosing to represent Raebareli in the 2024 general election, with Priyanka Gandhi successfully contesting and winning the Wayanad bypoll by over four lakh votes.