Explained: Why Congress has decided to field Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad

The message of the Wayanad decision is simple. The Congress believes it first needs to save itself before it saves any of its potential allies.

Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi addresses during the AICC OBC National Convention, in New Delhi, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. | Photo: PTI

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Wayanad is at the tri-junction of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and Gandhi’s campaigning could enthuse party workers in all three states.

Archis Mohan

5 min read Last Updated : Apr 01 2019 | 8:14 PM IST

The Congress party on Sunday announced that its president Rahul Gandhi will contest from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, in addition to his sitting Amethi seat.

The Congress decision has stunned Kerala’s ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front. Over the past five years, the Left parties, its affiliates and supporters, have been at the forefront of raising peoples' issues.

It was the Left parties that held the first big protest in Delhi against the increasing atrocities on the dalits in 2015, bringing such leaders as Prakash Ambedkar and Jignesh Mevani to attend.

The Left parties,

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