Responding with firm criticism to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement regarding Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from South India, AICC general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal asserted that it was not Modi who had the authority to choose Congress candidates.
Venugopal, currently contesting from the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency, reacted to Modi's recent interview with a TV channel where he downplayed Rahul Gandhi. He questioned Modi's stance, highlighting that Wayanad, where Rahul contested, is indeed a part of India. He also reminded that Modi himself contested from two seats in the past.
Expressing surprise at Modi's remarks, Venugopal defended Rahul's choice to contest from two seats, emphasizing that it wasn't unusual. He further suggested that Modi's repeated claims of the BJP-led NDA winning 400 seats indicated his nervousness. Venugopal asserted that the ground reality would be different from Modi's assertions.
Meanwhile, veteran Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator P.K. Kunhalikutty supported Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from two seats, while PMA Salam, their party general secretary, countered allegations by stating that Rahul did address the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) during a rally in Kozhikode.
Salam clarified that Rahul's speech, delivered in English and translated into Malayalam, did indeed touch upon the CAA issue. This response came in the wake of criticism from Vijayan, who had accused Rahul of not addressing the CAA matter during his campaign.
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