How much you know about Wayanad

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is contesting 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad seat apart from his regular parliamentary constituency of Amethi.

For many people particularly those in North India, Wayanad was a new word in their political lexicon when Rahul Gandhi 'agreed' to allow himself as the Congress candidate from this Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming parliamentary election. 

For starters and believers, Wayanad has a significant place in the legendary history of the Ramayana. Lady Sita spent her final years here after Lord Rama deserted her unable to bear being mocked by a commoner, a washerman, now politically sensitive ones identify the caste among the Dalits. The actual place is Palpully in Wayanad.

Some of the activists or activist-type enthusiasts must have heard about Palpully. Due to recurring droughts, Palpully earned a dubious pet name of Vidarbha of Kerala. Those who followed last year's infamous Kerala floods must also have heard about Wayanad, which lost most of its remnants that could indicate any kind of modern-day development. 

The slate of Wayanad is almost clean.

During the age of Ramayana, Sita, living-in-exile, gave birth to Luv and Kush, the twins inheritors of the throne of Ayodhya. Now, it is superfluous to state that Sage Valmiki, another Dalit by modern understanding, had his hermitage or ashram here where he gave shelter to Sita, ensured she had a healthy pregnancy and birthed the twins under proper care. 

This janmasthan of twin princes of Ayodhya is relatively less famous but has a temple in the memory of Sita, Luv and Kush. The existing temple was built during the reign of Kerala Varma, better known as Pazhassi Raja, made famous by superstar Mammootty, who played the lead character in the 2009 Malayalam film, Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja.

Pazhassi Raja was a revolutionary and nationalist leader by today's standard. He was among the first in the entire country to take up arms against the British merchant mercineries. For 34 years between 1774 and 1808, he waged war against the British. 

Now, a little about the geography of Wayanad.

Wayanad is a hilly forested district. It is safe to say that it forms a tri-junction of Kerala, Tamilanadu and Karnataka. This geography explains its political significance in the Lok Sabha election 2019. 

Located in the Western Ghats, Wayanad could be the apple of any nature lover's eyes. It's one of the most beautiful places in Kerala. Reading about Wayanad's geography and looking at the pictures makes one feel that it could be a Shimla before its pristine beauty fell to the list of humanity.

And, the coffee lovers must love it if they already don't know that the undulating hilly farms of Wayanad produce one of the best, if not the best, coffee seeds in the country. Don't crib if you find out that big corporates have secured their stranglehold over the best coffee seeds here. But, Wayanad coffee can be very refreshing.

It seems now we can also slip in something on the economic state of Wayanad here.

If you have come this far in this story, your brain must have pictured an image of Wayanad. Let me tell you that the picture in your mind is not different from the actual. Wayanad is really a place outside time and history. Kerala's wheel of progress has simply bypassed it. It may be living the same comparative status as it did in the Ramayana age.

Wretchedness and backwardness are the definitive words to describe the economy of Wayanad.

Wayanad has one of the lowest per capita incomes, lowest literacy rates, poorest infrastructure and possibly the worst medical facilities in Kerala. 

Neither remittances from the Middle East nor the local government's development schemes have come Wayanad's way.

True, Wayanad is the least populated district of Kerala but over 8 lakh people living here surely need enough schools, colleges, government-run dispensaries (private ones are less profitable, so, better doctors stay away), and also power and water connection. Saubhagya Yojana of the NDA government is yet make some impact in LDF-ruled and Congress-led UDF-coveted Kerala's Wayanad.

If you are still reading this, you must be thinking about the people living here.

As we all know, names give away, with only a few exceptions, the religion of a person. So, to cut a long story short, Muslims are in majority here. They constitute roughly 45 per cent of Wayanad's population. Hindus follow next with around 41 per cent. Christians might have outsiders believe that Kerala is a state of Christians but they are only about 13 per cent in Wayanad.

There is another division here. Tribal and non-tribal. You must have read about Malabar and the tribes in school text books on Indian history of British period. Tribals, cutting across religious beliefs, are 18-19 per cent. At this demographic density, Wayanad becomes the Kerala district with largest tribal concentration.

These indigenous people - many of whom must be tracing their history to the days when Sita, Luv and Kush learnt various ways and truths of life here at Sage Valmiki's ashram - still live in non-concretised houses, made of cane and clay. They mostly walk barefoot in the district.

And, finally let's talk politics a bit, after all this is the reason why Wayanad is being discussed.

Rahul Gandhi's poll promise of providing cash support of Rs 6,000 a month to five crore yet-to-be-defined and identified families will have many takers in Wayanad. In fact, too many. If one goes by the Socio Economic and Caste Census, 2011 - the latest available, the average income of the lead earner of in nearly 80 per cent families in Wayanad is Rs 5,000 per month. 

The election promise is to provide cash support to every family with average monthly income less than Rs 12,000.

This means, if Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister after Lok Sabha election 2019, and stays true to his word, nearly 80 per cent families in Wayanad would get Rs 7,000 cash support a month from the government provided such a central government and the PDF Kerala government don't fight over the modalities of implementation of the NYAY scheme. If you don't know about NYAY, you are politically docile. And, it is almost certain that you wouldn't even google it. Maybe, some of you would do now.

This also means Rahul Gandhi, purely on the basis of poll promise, has every chance/right to win Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. The Congress has traditionally won the seat, which was carved out only in 2008. 

But once he wins Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi would have to make sure he doesn't let Wayanad fall behind Amethi on the score of development. Many observers have stated that at the current value, Wayanad is better off compared to Amethi. However, if Rahul Gandhi wins both Wayanad and Amethi, he is almost certain to vacate Wayanad and represent Amethi in the Lok Sabha.

But if he decides otherwise, maybe taking a leaf out of Narendra Modi's 2014 poll book and stays as Wayanad MP, he will have, at the earliest, to put the district on the map of Indian Railways. Wayanad is one of the only two districts of Kerala that doesn't have railway connectivity. Google yourself to find out the other one.

One of the commentators has pointed to the state of roads or rather 'rod-ways' of Wayanad. If a car breaks down on a Wayanad road, it can delay your journey by hours should you be found tailing that vehicle. Clearing up traffic jam has never been an easy task in any of the Indian cities. Why should Wayanad be an exception!

PS: Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency is spread over three districts of Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram and seven assembly segments. Wayanad and Malappuram have three assembly segments each. 

Four of these assembly seats were won by UDF in 2016 state polls. Three others went to the LDF. Muslims and Christians, particularly of Malappuram are understood to be a vote banks of the LDF.

MI Shanavas, who won this seat for the Congress in 2009 and 2014, died in November last year during liver transplant in Chennai. Rahul Gandhi will need some sympathy votes, if the BJP improves its performance, to be in a situation of relinquishing.

Why Rahul Gandhi should bury his PM dream for 2019

Congress president Rahul Gandhi during his Germany tour in August 2018. (Photo: Twitter/@RahulGandhi)

During his Karnataka Assembly campaign Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said: The deadliest thing in Indian politics is Opposition unity. It will smash everything in its path. Mister Rajiv Gandhi had 415 seats and 40 per cent of the vote (in 1984 election) but he could not withstand Opposition unity.

Rahul Gandhi's statement reflected Congress's desire to achieve Opposition unity to test the BJP in 2019 election. The Congress, first under Sonia Gandhi and now under Rahul Gandhi, has been aspiring to assume the role of a unifier and a leader of the Opposition bloc. But, the Monsoon Session of Parliament showed that the Congress or Rahul Gandhi may not be the rallying point for the entire Opposition.

The Congress received two setbacks in three weeks over 18 sittings of the Monsoon Session. On July 20, the no-confidence motion - moved by the TDP but only after Congress's approval - was soundly defeated in the Lok Sabha. Twenty days later, Congress could not get enough support for its candidate BK Hari Prasad in the election for the deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.

Defeat of the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha looked certain given the number of MPs the BJP has in the House. But going into trial of strength in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had thrown a challenge saying, "Who says we don't have numbers?" The House said so. But more than the defeat of the no-confidence motion, it was poor managerial skills that should rankle the Congress.

The Shiv Sena has been utterly unhappy with the BJP. It is fighting its oldest ally, the BJP, every other day. But the Congress failed to win over the sulking party leadership. Rahul Gandhi did not even reach out to the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Shiv Sena abstained during voting on no-confidence motion. The BJD also stayed away from voting while the AIADMK voted against the motion. They are non-NDA parties. Rahul Gandhi failed to bring them on his side. No initiative was visible from his side.

During the Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson election on August 9, again an unhappy Shiv Sena voted with the NDA partners. The BJD, AIADMK and TRS voted for the NDA nominee Harivansh. Rahul Gandhi again faltered by not approaching these parties for support - not even the YSR Congress, which abstained from voting.

The Congress under Rahul Gandhi is showing signs of rigidity under false notion of its muscular strength in many states. Odisha is a classic example. The BJD has been in power in Odisha for 18 years. The BJP has emerged as the principal challenger to the BJD in Odisha. The Congress is definitely the number three. 

Yet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah manage to get support of the BJD in Parliament while Rahul Gandhi does not seem inclined to reach out to Naveen Patnaik, the Odisha chief minister. Rahul Gandhi seems to harbour misplaced belief that the Congress can win back power in Odisha.

Delhi is another example. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal is a bitter critic of PM Modi and the BJP but Rahul Gandhi has not shown any inclination till date to have him on board to stitch Opposition unity. Congress heavyweights like Ajay Maken in Delhi seem to give a false hope to Rahul Gandhi that the party can win the next Assembly election here. 

The party had been reduced to naught in 2015, when only eight Congress candidates had succeeded in saving their deposits. Even Sheila Dikshit, the then chief minister, had lost her deposit to Arvind Kejriwal, who has been extremely critical of PM Modi and the BJP. Still, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have treated Arvind Kejriwal as political outcaste. 

In the case of Uttar Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi's "friendship" with SP president Akhilesh Yadav broke as soon as BSP chief Mayawati agreed to fight together. The SP-BSP alliance defeated the BJP even while ignoring the Congress. 

The SP and BSP are going to fight together in Madhya Pradesh. They are likely to have alliance with local Gondwana Gantantra Party but the Congress is not in their scheme of things. Rahul Gandhi has not dropped any hint of accommodating these parties, which have influence in certain pockets of Madhya Pradesh. The Congress is faction-ridden in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP is seeking a fourth consecutive term in power.

The Congress's relation with the NCP is not smooth. The NCP is ready to extend support to the minority BJP government despite having shared power with the Congress both in the state and at the Centre. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has repeatedly hinted that he wants a free hand in mobilising Opposition parties against the BJP, but Rahul Gandhi does not seem to be comfortable. 

The CPI-M has passed a resolution stating that it would have no arrangement with the Congress for election or other political purposes. The TMC is not ready to let Rahul Gandhi assume the leadership role for the entire Opposition. 

In Parliament, both the NCP and the TMC tried to show their independent anti-BJP credentials than being a partner of the Congress. Even the TDP tries to maintain distance from Rahul Gandhi's Congress in Parliament.

Rahul Gandhi, at present seems to have only one unflinching alliance partner in the form of Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD. Omar Abdullah of the National Conference is another leader, who supports Rahul Gandhi but that seems more personal than political. 

On the other hand, PM Modi and Amit Shah have managed to keep the allies together. If Odisha is a demonstration of how Rahul Gandhi has failed to show political maneuverability, Bihar showcases Amit Shah's ability to keep the allies together. Despite the JDU's reentry in the NDA last year, the BJP keeps holding the LJP and RLSP in the fold.

With twin failures in Parliament in 20 days, Rahul Gandhi now has a huge challenge to win Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram later this year. If he fails to win these elections, he would have to bury his own dream - acknowledged during Karnataka Assembly polls - of becoming the prime minister in 2019.

(This was originally written for Indiatoday.in but somehow, it did not pass the editorial test. I am just posting it on my blog to keep this use-less piece for record.)

Congress: A political outfit or political business of a family?

After Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s “well-orchestrated” dramatics over the ordinance on the convicted politicians, the politics has taken a curious turn over the issue. Rahul Gandhi may have wanted to distance himself from the Congress party and the UPA government by publicly denouncing an orchestra of the Congress core-group and the union cabinet thinking that the credibility of the party and the government is eroding, but in the process he has also inflicted some damage on his own credibility as a political leader. His Rambo-act on Friday at the Press Club of India in New Delhi reflects the politician within Rahul Gandhi and not a leader.

It would be foolish to think that Rahul did not know anything about the Congress and the government’s move to annul the Supreme Court order dated July 10th. The Supreme Court had  held that convicted MPs and MLAs would be ineligible to contest election if sentenced to more than two years’ jail term in a criminal case.

But, if Rahul really did not know about it, he proved himself an indifferent and pathetic parliamentarian as a bill to this effect had been introduced in the Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session after due clearance.

Or, if he knew yet let the party and government do what they wanted to do, he proved himself a politician not sincere in fighting criminalization of politics. And, on all counts, the theatrical appearance and castigation of the deeds of the government was an act of a politician, who was trying to do some damage control. In the process, however, he has exposed himself, his party and the government.

Let’s consider another if. Suppose, Rahul Gandhi was genuinely concerned and anguished at the attempt by his party and the government at shielding some of the convicted or to be convicted criminals among politicians, and he only reacted late gauging the public sentiment, which gave him courage to speak out in public against his party and government.

What does this convey?

Rahul’s stand is a public negation of the policies of the Congress president and his all-powerful mother Sonia Gandhi, who approved of the Ordinance on the convicted politicians to nullify the apex court order. If Rahul prevails, which seems to be the only option available before the government now, it would mark an end to Sonia regime in the party. But, this comes with a rider that the Friday’s storming the Sonia bastion of Congress by Rahul must not have come without her underlying approval and thus, an end to her regime with her approval.

So, Sonia appears to have approved of quite a few things in past one week: an ordinance to perpetuate criminalization of politics, putting credibility of the party and the government at risk, Rahul’s elevation to the super-politician level and an end to her own supremacy! Contrastingly incredible!

Friday also deliered some message to the Prime Minister, who is travelling abroad apparently on an important job. He is left with two options, either to withdraw the ordinance on convicted politicians and confirm what he said concluding his last foreign trip that he was ready to serve under Rahul. That he is actually serving under Rahul, who would be seen like the Super PM. Second option is to go down fighting after having faced so much political humiliation and seen audacious insubordination in full public view.

Moreover, Manmohan Singh's is not a standalone case. Some other senior leaders of the Congress party and ministers in the UPA government have complained of humiliation. But the question is, will these leaders make an attempt to salvage the prestige of the grand old party? Most unlikely. Will they come out and make Rahul fall in the line? Will the collective wisdom of the Congress leaders convince people that the Congress is political organization not political business of a family?

Rahul Gandhi And Uttar Pradesh

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today held a very tactical press conference in Varanasi, hours ahead of the end of the election campaign for the first phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh, where stake is very high for the projected--but-disinterested future prime minister of India for Congress party. The press briefing was on expected lines with expected answers but with a renewed anger on display. This apart, today's press conference has four meanings, as I have perceived.

One, Rahul Gandhi has conceded defeat of his party in the upcoming polls just ahead of the first phase of voting. He categorically admitted that he is now focused on the 'course' and not on the result of the assembly elections. It is like accepting that his party stands no chance of forming a government in the state, as being predicted by all the poll pundits and much contrary to Congress's and his own tall claims of returning to power in Lucknow. Today's press conference may work in favour or may hamper his chances more than ever. It could be his last ditch to make an appeal to the voters that he is genuinely concerned about the progress of Uttar Pradesh, but his party can't muster majority in the present political scenario. Anyways, it's a defeat conceded by the commander of the Congress party.

Second, Rahul Gandhi seemed to be closing the doors of an alliance with either the BSP or the SP post-poll. He accused both these parties and also the BJP of providing 'criminal' governance in Uttar Pradesh in past two decades. Should his come to a pass of forging an alliance with either of the SP or BSP, he will have to eat his words, which Rahul Gandhi has not done till date. But, it also leaves Congress in a possible dilemma as to what it would do if BJP gets enough seat to tilt balance in anyone's favour. Will the Congress extend outside support to either the SP or the BSP, should it intends to keep the BJP at bay?

Third, Rahul Gandhi termed BJP a non-existing force in UP. For any political observer, it is too far fetched even to comment on the statement. But, Rahul Gandhi's soaring temper during the press conference while dealing with questions concerning the BJP was more than apparent. Was it an anger resulting due to frustration, that the BJP-led opposition handed over to the Congress in Parliament over the Lokpal Bill? He accused LK Advani of only touring in the name of corruption and not acting. He also challenged Advani and Co that he would get a constitutional Lokpal enacted by Parliament whether they like it or not. But, Rahul Gandhi is wise enough to understand that until his party gets a majority in UP, he can't have his way in the Rajya Sabha and thus the constitutional Lokpal may not be a reality. So, his renewed anger at the BJP, which is according Rahul Gandhi non-existent in UP, may have its source in the Lokpal fiasco.

And, fourth, Rahul Gandhi evaded the question on black money but focused on black flags to hit out at Baba Ramdev, who is obviously not a political force. Does Rahul's outburst at Ramdev signal a bigger trouble for the yog merchant? Only time will tell.

Custodial Death: Omar In Pain, Congress Eyes Gain

Custodial death of National Conference worker, Syed Mohammad Yousuf has fuelled the sleeping aspirations of not only the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir but also the friend and ally, Congress. The alliance partner of Abdullah’s National Conference seems to be allying with the PDP of Mehbooba Mufti, although, covertly, in keeping Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in discomfort. As the plot is thickening over the death of Syed Yousuf after Abdullah Junior handed him over to police, the Congress leaders of Kashmir have begun to romanticize their brightening prospects anticipating the downfall of their ally and friend in state politics. Even the political observers in the
state feel that the Congress could be the real beneficiary of the ongoing crisis, which got worsened on Saturday morning, when Omar Abdullah’s police resorted to baton charge the PDP protestors demanding his resignation. The separatists, too, have joined Mehbooba Mufti in baying for Omar’s blood.

Now, consider this. Omar Abdullah will be completing his half tenure of six years in first week of January next year giving the Congress an opportunity to think of taking the relay baton from an alienated chief minister, though the two parties are not at an agreement of transfer of power like the one that the congress had with the PDP in the previous regime. The great opportunist party, that the congress is, will not shy away from making things practically unworkable for Omar Abdullah. And, if the signals emerging from both the Congress headquarters and the stakeholders in the Jammu and Kashmir politics are to be believed, the party is well on its course.

The only thing that is perhaps withholding the Congressmen from the valley from speaking their minds out is Rahul Gandhi’s personal friendship with Omar Abdullah and the former’s apparent commitment to the latter to keep intact his chair till the very last workable situation in the state. But, during his recent visit to the valley, Rahul Gandhi had give a patient hearing to Congress leaders wishing for a change of guard in Srinagar.

Notwithstanding, some of the state Congress leaders have started openly demanding a Congress chief minister in Jammu and Kashmir post-January, 2012 subject to approval by party president, Sonia Gandhi. This demand had begun as early as in May and June this year, when state Congress leaders asked for rotation of Chief Minister’s chair as they were unhappy with Omar capturing all the limelight with Congressmen being treated only as poor cousins in the corridors of power in the state. And, senior leaders including Dr Karan Singh, Saifuddin Soz and Makhan Lal Fotedar had assured the junior leaders of conveying their sentiments to the party high command in New Delhi. The views have come to take deeper grounds now in party headquarters and lobbying is underway to convince the top leadership to think on those lines and negotiate with the Abdullahs.

Also at work are two old camps of J&K Congress, namely those of union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and J&K PCC president Saifuddin Soz with former in being favour at the 10, Janpath. Soz supporters find a realistic chance for him to get the coveted seat in Srinagar, but sources also indicate strongly that Azad may be interested in the job if hints come from the top. This internal tussle for supremacy in Srinagar may prove beneficial for Omar Abdullah but then PDP is also, according to sources close to Mehbooba Mufti, ready to support a Congress government should National Conference be dumped. So, the Congress is weighing its options while Omar tries hard to save his chair and salvage his image and re-enforce his command in the state. The political situation in Jammu and Kashmir looks tailor-made for a Congress comeback lest Omar finds a magic wand to ward off all the ‘evil’ forces.