Kerala Assembly elections: Rahul Gandhi to hold corner meetings today in Palakkad, Mallapuram

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be interacting with the people of Kerala in corner meetings on Friday. The Wayanad MP will have his first corner meeting at 3 pm in Palakkad, followed by two in Mallapuram. The second meeting is scheduled at 4.10 pm in Ponnani, followed by the last in Perinthalmanna at 5.30 pm, both in Mallapuram. Even though the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state the government was lauded for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and floods before that, the Kerala polls will be a tight contest. Vijayan, just like the Congress leaders, has targeted the Narendra Modi government and alleged it was using central agencies to destabilise the Kerala government. Former CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the same a couple of days ago. Rahul Gandhi has said that Congress will implement its flagship scheme NYAY, first mooted during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, in Kerala should the people give his party a chance. The Wayanad MP, who has interacted with college students, demonstrated his Aikido and swimming skills, has said his party wants to test NYAY in Kerala first before implementing it across the country when they return to power. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in the state on Wednesday, said the Congress was confused, adding the party was fighting the communists in Kerala but was with them in Bengal. At a roadshow in Kerala’s Thrippunithura town, Shah said, “Congress party and its leadership, both are confused.” Shah also targeted Vijayan and sought an explanation over the gold smuggling case. The BJP’s star campaigner said the people of Kerala were looking at the saffron party as an alternative to LDF and UDF now. The 140-member Kerala assembly goes to polls in a single phase on 6 April. The ruling LDF, which won 91 of the 140 seats in 2016, is predicted to form the government once again, according to the Times Now-C-Voter survey. The Congress-led UDF, according to the survey, will gain, taking its tally from 47 to 62 but won’t form the government. Despite a loss of 14 seats, the opinion poll survey says the LDF will form the government with 77 seats.