Daijiworld Media Network - Wayanad
Wayanad, May 17: Police have registered a case after posters targeting senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appeared on the walls of the Congress office and nearby areas in Wayanad earlier this week.
According to officials, the case was registered at the Kalpetta police station based on a complaint filed by Congress MLA T Siddique.
The First Information Report (FIR) stated that the posters surfaced on May 13 on the compound wall of the Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC) office and adjoining areas amid uncertainty over the selection of Kerala’s next chief minister.
The posters reportedly warned that Wayanad could become the “next Amethi” for the Congress, referring to Rahul Gandhi’s defeat from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in 2019.
One poster read: “Mr Rahul and Priyanka Forget Wayanad... You won't win again from here.”
Another stated: “Mr Rahul, KC might be your bag bearer but people of Kerala never forgive you.”
The posters were later removed by Congress workers.
Police said a case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Kerala Police Act. CCTV footage retrieved from the area allegedly showed a man pasting the posters, and efforts are underway to identify him.
The development comes days after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a decisive victory in the Kerala Assembly elections, winning 102 of the 140 seats.
However, the Congress leadership initially faced difficulty in finalising the chief ministerial candidate, with names such as VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal under consideration.
Reports suggested that the party high command favoured Venugopal for the post due to his close association with Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, while party workers largely supported Satheesan and Chennithala.
The suspense ended this week after the Congress officially announced VD Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Kerala. His swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 18 in the presence of senior party leaders.
“I am humbled by the trust placed in me by the party and the people. They entrusted me with a huge responsibility, and I am very thankful to team UDF and the workers. I dedicate my CMship to the people of Kerala,” Satheesan said after being chosen for the top post.