Seeing a red flag in green, Congress removes all flags from Rahul rally

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi arrived in Kalpetta, Wayanad, to a rousing welcome on Wednesday (April 3). Thousands of UDF workers, predominantly IUML activists from Kerala’s Malappuram and Kozhikode districts, gathered at the hilltop district headquarters early in anticipation of their leader’s arrival to file nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections.

However, the conspicuous absence of party flags in the procession sparked discussion during Rahul’s inaugural political event in the constituency following the announcement of elections.

Rahul and Priyanka spearheaded a roadshow leading to Kalpetta town, where the Congress star filed his nomination papers before Collector Renu Raj, also the returning officer for Wayanad constituency. Accompanied by state United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders, they rode on an open vehicle adorned with a banner reading “Rahul for India”, greeting supporters along the way. But all kinds of party flags — of all the UDF constituents — were missing from the rally.

Missing flags

The mystery of the missing flags has its genesis in Rahul’s 2019 roadshow in Wayanad. It had come under some snide remarks from the BJP after the Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML) green flags were waved along with those of the Congress. Home Minister Amit Shah, then the BJP president, had said: “When a procession is taken out, you cannot make out whether it is an Indian or a Pakistani procession.”

Apparently, this prompted the UDF to instruct their workers to abstain from carrying flags during the event. Even Congress workers were prohibited from displaying flags, as it was feared that the presence of Congress flags might cause discomfort to the IUML, especially considering that their green flags were the reason for this restriction.

IUML predicament

“We brought flags with us. But on reaching Kalpetta, we were instructed not to take them out or wave them. Even the Congress workers refrained from doing so. It’s a strategic move. Otherwise, the BJP might exploit it as a significant issue, potentially causing considerable damage to the Congress, particularly in north India,” said an IUML worker from Thuvvur Malappuram.

Another IUML worker told The Federal: “I am not saying it is right or wrong, but there is a problem. If we wave green flags, it would immediately be dubbed as Pakistani flags. It is true. You know what happened in Karnataka recently. I am not sure if the Congress should give in to this threat or stand up to it boldly but it is a sad reality we have to deal with.”

Left criticism

Even though the Congress leadership attempted to play it down, the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which rules Kerala, seized the opportunity to launch an attack on the UDF.

“When a prominent politician in the country arrives to file his nomination, the absence of his party’s flag is glaring. The Congress finds itself in a predicament where it has to forgo its own flag as the BJP would use it for their advantage in the northern states,” said MV Govindan, the state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

However, T Siddique, an MLA and vice-president of the Congress in Kerala, countered: “In an election, it is not the flag but the symbol that holds significance. Within the UDF, we have numerous constituents, each with their own flags. For us, Rahul Gandhi and our symbol, the hand, are paramount. The LDF has nothing substantive to raise against us.”

Emotive Rahul

Rahul Gandhi kicked off his campaign visiting a tribal colony in Maravayal. “On the one side there is a force out to destroy. And on the other, there is a force standing to protect. The people of India clearly know who is on which side: who is attacking the Constitution and who is attacking the democratic setup of the country,” he said.

He emphasized that his voters were not just constituents but family members.

“When I came to Wayanad five years ago, I was new here, but you elected me as your MP and soon made me a member of your family. I have received love and affection. I have learnt so much from my brothers and sisters. It has been an honour to be the MP of Wayanad. I don’t treat or think about you as an electorate. I treat and think about you the same way I think about my sister Priyanka. In the homes of Wayanad, I have sisters, I have brothers, I have mothers and I have fathers. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. All the people of Wayanad, regardless of you are with UDF or LDF, I have a relationship with you,” Rahul said.

Local issues

Rahul, during his rally, also brought up local issues — inadequate facilities at the government medical college, a ban on night traffic on the national highway, and human-wildlife conflict. He blamed the state and Central governments for these issues. “When we form the government, we will resolve all the issues.”

Before leaving Wayanad, Rahul made time to meet Jayaprakash, the father of the veterinary student who was found dead on campus after alleged torture by his college mates last month. He assured his intervention after Jayaprakash submitted a memorandum alleging that the state government was attempting to sabotage the probe.

Annie Raja ahead in campaigning

This time, the contest in Wayanad has taken on a new dimension for Rahul Gandhi, with the LDF nominating Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja, a national-level figure who has collaborated closely with Rahul Gandhi in northern states. She is also the wife of CPI general secretary D Raja. The BJP has fielded its state president K Surendran to elevate the campaign, if not the competition, as the it historically holds minimal vote share in the constituency.

Annie Raja, who commenced her campaign precisely a month ago, has already completed at least two rounds of visiting the Assembly segments within the constituency. She has established a significant personal connection with a large portion of the voters, particularly among women.

“It’s definitely different this time, Annie Raja is making a difference. She is just like an ordinary woman, one of us,” says Sainaba of Kalpetta who had come to watch the campaign trail of the LDF candidate. “I don’t think she will trump Rahul Gandhi but there would be a fight this time. I am not against Rahul Gandhi either, but I wish these two had not fought against each other,” added the 46-year-old home maker.

Massive win

In 2019, Rahul Gandhi achieved an unprecedented feat in Kerala’s electoral history by securing 64 per cent of the total votes cast in Wayanad. His impressive victory, with a majority of 431,770 votes, exceeded even the expectations of the Congress party.

This landslide saw him outshine his closest competitor, PP Suneer of CPI, who trailed far behind with just 274,597 votes, significantly lower than the 356,000 votes secured by the LDF in 2014. Rahul Gandhi garnered a total of 706,367 votes, dominating all seven assembly constituencies, including the four LDF-held seats.

The previous record for the largest margin of victory in the state was held by IUML’s E Ahamed, who won by 194,739 votes in Malappuram in 2014.