Rahul Gandhi to visit Wayanad on June 12

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Wayanad in Kerala on June 12, party sources said on Monday.

His visit comes days after he secured a massive victory in Wayanad constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. He defeated his nearest rival and CPI candidate Annie Raja by a margin of 3,64,422 votes.

Gandhi is visiting the constituency amidst speculations that he would give up the seat in Kerala and retain Raebareli, a traditional stronghold of the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh.

In view of the Congress leader's visit, a protest march to the state Assembly, announced by the opposition United Democratic Front on June 12, has been postponed, the UDF said in a statement here on Monday.

The Opposition front had announced the protest march last month soon after allegations cropped up against the Pinarayi Vijayan government over the liquor policy row. It is said there was a move by the Left regime to amend the state liquor policy in favour of bar owners.

The Congress-led front had demanded the resignation of Tourism and Excise Ministers over the allegations and warned of holding a march towards the state Assembly, intensifying their protest.

However, UDF Convenor M M Hassan on Monday informed that the Assembly march was postponed to another day.

Both the march and the coordination committee meeting of the UDF, scheduled to be held on June 12, have been postponed as the front leaders have to take part in the programmes in connection with Gandhi's visit to Wayanad, he said.