Whatever may be the compulsions for the Indian National Congress, its indication that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to enter the fray from a Lok Sabha constituency in the south — possibly Wayanad in Kerala — sends out confusing and wrong signals (“Rahul likely to contest from south too”, March 24). There is nothing to prove as the socio-political character of Wayanad has always made the seat a safe bet for the UDF. Here, the influence of the BJP and other forces that subscribe to the ‘Moditva’ ideology is minimal. Such a move would also reveal the skewed priority of the Congress in the national perspectives vis-à-vis the ‘fight against the common threat’. If he does stand from here, Mr. Gandhi’s win is a foregone conclusion; it would be a pyrrhic victory of sorts.
Ayyasseri Raveendranath,
Aranmula, Kerala
It would give the impression that the Congress has admitted defeat even before the first vote is cast. The BJP can easily portray Mr. Gandhi as a general in full retreat from the Hindi heartland to the south, where the BJP’s electoral prospects are quite dim. If the Congress is destined to form a non-BJP coalition government, the Left is supposed to support it. So, the Congress’s State leadership wants its president to inflict damage on its putative supporter. Even if the Congress sweeps Kerala because of the supposedly electrifying presence of Mr. Gandhi, it will be a pyrrhic victory.
Abdul Assis P.A.,
Kandassankadavu, Thrissur, Kerala
