Bangalore:

Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani took a jibe at the Congress party’s situation in Kerala. Although the Communist Party of India was a partner of the opposition Indian bloc, the Communist Party of India fielded Anni Raja against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad.

On one hand, Left parties are asking Rahul Gandhi to campaign in Uttar Pradesh, while on the other hand, members of the same Left embraced the Congress leader during the Indian Union meeting, Ms. Irani said on Friday.

While interacting with businessmen in Bengaluru, the Union Minister said, “The situation with the opposition is that they are fighting in Wayanad. Left parties say why Rahul Gandhi does not go to Uttar Pradesh to campaign. But when the same Left goes to Delhi Attending the CBI meeting, they embraced Rahul Gandhi.”

Slamming the situation, she said: “Yesterday I said in Kerala, “Delhi I hug, Kerala I beg.” The current situation in Karnataka Congress is, “Hugging in Delhi, begging in Kerala, violence in Karnataka.“.

Former actress Smriti Irani asked women to vote in large numbers and said voting is not a game for any TV show; rather, it is a heavy responsibility.

“I request all women that if we want everyone to take women in politics seriously, then we have to focus on important political issues. ‘Saas-Bahu’ serials are far from the reality of life. Women who understand this can” succeed social and political life. The Gandhi family is looting the country by clicking pictures and smiling. Voting is a heavy responsibility and it is not a game for any telenovela,” the Union Minister said.

Annie Raja filed her nomination for the Wayanad Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday. The Communist Party of India is a partner of the left-wing Democratic Front led by the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala.

While the Communist Party of India and the Congress are partners in India’s opposition bloc, the two parties are fierce rivals in Kerala, with both sides pitting their strongest candidates against each other.

Leaving no stone unturned to assert its complete dominance in the 2024 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Kerala President Surendran as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate in the constituency.

Kerala is one of the few states where the Congress party still has a strong influence, sending 20 members to the Lok Sabha.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi defeated Wayanad by a huge margin of over 4.31 lakh votes; the highest margin in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. He defeated LDF candidate PP Suneer with 64.94% of the votes. The NDA fielded BDJ(S) leader Tushar Vellapally who polled only about 78,000 votes or just 7.25%

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 out of 20 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress won 15 seats, its ally the Indian Muslim League won two seats, the Revolutionary Socialist Party won one seat and the Kerala Congress (M) won one seat.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) won one seat in Alappuzha.

All 20 seats for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in South Indian states are scheduled to go to polls on April 26 and counting of votes will take place on June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)