'It was set match': BJP's Anil Antony on Wayanad bypolls
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anil Antony has slammed the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election, calling it a "set match" planned by the Gandhi family. He claimed this was a strategic move to ensure Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's entry into Parliament. The bypoll became necessary after her brother Rahul Gandhi vacated the seat after being elected from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year.
Antony questions Priyanka's choice of Wayanad
Antony also questioned Priyanka's decision to contest from Wayanad, saying it was due to favorable demographics and her inability to secure a win in other constituencies. He noted her current lead is less than the margins achieved by Rahul in previous elections. "Two years ago she was face of Congress in UP. She could not find any other constituency where she was assured that she could win so she came to Wayanad," he said.
Antony highlights NDA's growing influence in Kerala
Antony further highlighted the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)'s growing footprint in Kerala. He observed that their vote share increased from 9% in 2009 to 19% in the recent Lok Sabha polls. "In 2009 our vote share was 9%, in 2014 it was 13%. This Lok Sabha polls our vote share became 19%," he said.
Antony criticizes Congress's declining popularity
Antony also claimed that the Congress party's popularity is waning nationally and in Wayanad. Even though Priyanka is contesting as a United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, he claimed that she is actually up against her own alliance. "Across nation, the Congress party has been rejected and even in Wayanad their popularity is decreasing," he said.
