Case filed over ‘Wayanad will become next Amethi’ posters targeting Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi

A case has been registered in Kerala’s Wayanad district after posters targeting Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appeared near the party office and surrounding areas in Kalpetta amid the ongoing suspense over the Congress party’s chief ministerial choice in the state.

The posters carried sharp messages directed at the Gandhi siblings and warned that Wayanad could become “the next Amethi” if senior Congress leader KC Venugopal was chosen as Kerala’s next chief minister. The reference was seen as a political reminder of Rahul Gandhi’s 2019 Lok Sabha defeat from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

One of the posters reportedly read: “Mr Rahul, KC might be your bag bearer but people of Kerala never forgive you.” Another said, “Mr Rahul and Priyanka Forget Wayanad. You won’t win again from here.”

According to police officials, the posters were found pasted on the walls of the District Congress Committee office and nearby public areas earlier this week. Authorities have retrieved CCTV footage showing a person allegedly putting up the posters during the night of May 13. Efforts are underway to identify the individual involved.

The controversy comes at a politically sensitive time for the Congress in Kerala. Despite the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) securing a sweeping victory in the recent Assembly elections, the party has faced internal tension over the delay in announcing the next chief minister.

Several senior Congress leaders, including VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala, have been seen as contenders for the top post. Reports suggest that sections within the party and allied groups have opposed the possibility of Venugopal’s appointment, leading to visible factional friction.

The appearance of the posters in Wayanad has added to the pressure on the Congress leadership, particularly because the constituency has strong symbolic value for the Gandhi family. Rahul Gandhi represented Wayanad in the Lok Sabha after contesting from the seat in 2019, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is currently associated closely with the constituency’s political outreach.

The “next Amethi” slogan used in the posters has drawn attention because of its political implications. Amethi, once considered a Congress stronghold and closely associated with the Gandhi family, was lost by Rahul Gandhi to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The comparison appears aimed at warning the Congress leadership of potential electoral backlash in Kerala if internal dissatisfaction grows.

Congress workers reportedly removed the posters soon after they surfaced. Local party leaders condemned the incident and said disciplinary action would follow if any party worker was found involved.

The police case has been filed under provisions related to defacement of public property and other applicable sections, though officials have not yet confirmed whether any political organisation or individual has been directly linked to the incident.

The development has once again highlighted factional undercurrents within the Kerala Congress unit even after the UDF’s electoral success, with the leadership decision continuing to dominate political discussions in the state.