Thiruvananthapuram, March 30, 2024
Star campaigners like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her daughter Priyanka Gandhi and CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury will be descending on Kerala for the electioneering.
Kerala goes to the polls on April 26 to elect 20 Lok Sabha members.
PM Modi has so far made a few visits and is expected to come again, so would Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda and other top leaders.
From the Congress, one of their star campaigners, former president Rahul Gandhi will be defending his Wayanad Lok Sabha seat and hence he will be making quick trips across the state.
Rahul, who is expected to arrive on Tuesday, will be filing his nomination after a roadshow.
The star campaigner this time is expected to be Sonia Gandhi who did not campaign in the state during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
According to sources, Sonia might be coming this time and is expected to campaign at Wayanad, Kannur, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram.
Priyanka Gandhi is also lined up for a whirlwind trip to several constituencies.
With regards to the CPI-M, Yechuri, former general secretary Prakash Karat, and his wife Brinda Karat would be the national leaders who will be campaigning in the state, which is considered as their last bastion.
But for the CPI-M, there is no doubt that their biggest campaigner will be none other than Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, whose programme has begun and he will travel to all the 14 districts in the state.
Veteran Congress leader and former Defence Minister A.K. Antony has said that his election campaign will be based on his health condition, but all eyes are on whether he will campaign at the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency from where sitting Congress MP — Anto Antony is seeking his fourth consecutive victory and is pitted against his son — Anil Antony, a BJP candidate.
But this is going to be the first election in ages when legends like the now ailing V.S. Achuthanandan of the CPI-M and the departed leaders like Congress veteran Oommen Chandy, CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPI veteran Kanam Rajendran, will be sorely missed, not just by the candidates and their parties, but by the audience, who comes just to see and hear such legends.(Agency)
