Posters targeting Rahul, Priyanka surface in Wayanad amid Kerala CM deadlock

Posters targeting Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra surfaced in Wayanad on Wednesday amid an escalating deadlock over the selection of the next Chief Minister of Kerala.

The controversy erupted on the eighth day after the Congress-led United Democratic Front secured a sweeping victory in the state Assembly elections by winning 102 out of 140 seats.

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The English-language posters, which appeared outside the Wayanad District Congress Committee office in Kalpetta, directly warned the Gandhi siblings against backing K. C. Venugopal for the Chief Minister’s post.

One prominent poster read: “Mr Rahul and Priyanka, forget Wayanad. You won’t win again from here.”

Another poster took a direct swipe at Venugopal, stating: “Mr Rahul, KC might be your bag bearer, but people of Keralam will never forgive you.”

A third poster said: “RG and PG, this is not a warning. Keralam will never forgive you for this blunder.”

Yet another poster warned: “Wayanad can be the next Amethi,” referring to the Gandhi family stronghold in Uttar Pradesh where Rahul Gandhi lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election to BJP leader Smriti Irani.

The posters carry significant symbolic weight as the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency is currently represented by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and was earlier represented by Rahul Gandhi from 2019 to 2024.

Venugopal is reportedly backed by a majority of newly elected Congress MLAs. However, local party cadres and key alliance partners are said to favour V. D. Satheesan, the outgoing Leader of the Opposition.

While local Congress workers are trying to identify those behind the poster campaign, party insiders suspect that rival Communist Party of India (Marxist) activists may be attempting to exploit internal tensions within the Congress.