BJP & CPI put up tough fight against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad | Lok Sabha polls 2024

Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls on April 26, in the second phase. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is eyeing reelection from the seat, but both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) are putting up a tough fight.

In 2019, Rahul Gandhi emerged victorious with a margin of over 4 lakh, the highest by any candidate in Kerala. But this time, the Congress leader is up against CPI's Annie Raja and BJP's K Surendran.

Annie Raja is a member of the CPI’s National Executive Committee and the Chief General Secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women. She is married to the party general secretary D Raja and is contesting elections for the first time.

BJP has fielded state unit president K Surendran. Surendran has contested all Lok Sabha elections since 2009 and four Assembly polls, but has never won. In 2016, Surendran lost from Manjeshwar seat by just 86 votes.

Also watch: CPI fields Annie Raja from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha seat