Congress changes Kerala campaign plan as Kharge replaces Rahul Gandhi at key rally, while political tensions rise over his absence from a crucial all-party meeting on West Asia.
Rahul Gandhi with Kharge
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will not travel to Kerala for a scheduled public rally on Wednesday after his mother, Sonia Gandhi, was admitted to hospital in Delhi.
Sonia Gandhi, 79, was taken to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Tuesday evening for what party sources described as a routine medical check-up. Earlier reports said she had felt unwell before being admitted.
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With his Kerala visit now cancelled, there is no confirmation yet on whether Gandhi will attend the all-party meeting scheduled later in the day.
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The development has led to a change in the Congress party’s programme in Kerala, where the campaign push is beginning ahead of the Assembly elections next month.
With Rahul Gandhi unavailable, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will now address the rally in Kozhikode. The event is expected to mark the start of a wider outreach effort across the state.
Kerala is set to vote on April 9 to elect 140 legislators, and political parties are stepping up their campaigns across key regions.
A day earlier, Gandhi had indicated that he would miss the all-party meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening because of his Kerala visit.
The Centre has called an all-party meeting on Wednesday evening, to be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, to brief leaders on the evolving situation in West Asia.
Several ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, are expected to attend, while Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will present a detailed briefing. The meeting is scheduled for 5 pm inside the Parliament complex.
The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statements in both Houses of Parliament, where he described the situation in West Asia as an “unprecedented crisis” with long-term implications.
The conflict has entered its fourth week and has begun to affect maritime routes, especially through the Strait of Hormuz. This has led to fluctuations in global energy markets and raised concerns over supply chains and inflation.
Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, and his absence from the meeting, drew criticism from BJP leaders.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “When the government calls for an all-party meeting during such a global crisis, it is the duty of the opposition to work with it unitedly… He simply makes remarks every now and then. Is he the LoP in the Lok Sabha, or to the country itself?… The people have made him the Joker only, let him understand that…”
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan also criticised Gandhi, saying, “After Rahul Gandhi’s flippant remarks yesterday, we saw how President Trump called PM Modi to seek his counsel about the West Asia conflict… Rahul Gandhi harps in the most hollow fashion about the foreign policy, but is not going to be present in the all-party meeting… This shows his lack of seriousness…”
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal questioned Gandhi’s role as Leader of the Opposition, saying he was not consistently present during parliamentary proceedings and was skipping key discussions.
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