Kerala LSG polls: BJPs Sonia Gandhi seek votes in Munnar putting Congress in an awkward position
Sonia Gandhi is much known in the Munnar region as the daughter of late Congress leader and a plantation worker in Munnar who had served his life for the party. However, after his death, his daughter Sonia Gandhi joined BJP.
Idukki: Taking the Congress local leadership in Munnar by surprise, the BJP has fielded a candidate named Sonia Gandhi as its candidate for the Local body polls. The decision has put the Congress in an awkward position as it happens to be the name of their supreme leader and the mother of Rahul Gandhi.
For Congress party workers, the similarity in the name puts them in an embarrassed situation especially with large cut outs and posters of BJP’s ‘Sonia Gandhi’ looming large in the main centres of Munnar town catching the attention of the public.
"Since she is a daughter of a Congress leader and her name is the same as that of our senior leader there is a sense of confusion among the voters. More than her name, it was her father Durai Raj who was a well known Congress leader in the region that has created an embarrassment for the party workers and loyalists”, said Stephen Joseph, a local Congress office bearer in Nallathanni to News9.
Who is Munnar’s Sonia Gandhi?
Sonia Gandhi is much known in the region as the daughter of late Congress leader and a plantation worker in Munnar who had served his life for the party. However, after his death, his daughter Sonia Gandhi joined BJP.
Sonia Gandhi had married Subhash, BJP Panchayat General secretary and had been active in party politics.
"Sonia Gandhi is a devout party worker and has been party’s main campaigner in Munnar. We are expecting the Congress traditional votes to swing in our favour this time as the party has been able to make inroads into the region for the last 3 to 4 years”, said Murukeshan, a BJP local office bearer.
Idukki district has been a Congress stronghold for the past few decades. However, the absence of a strong leader and an organizational set up in the hilly tourist region has off late been a major concern for the Congress party.
Meanwhile, voters in Idukki have been raising a series of issue ranging from wild life attacks, price dip for agriculture produce such as pepper, cardamon and others ahead of the elections. The CPM which already have a strong party cadre base in Idukki is facing backlash from the voters over various issues.
The Panchayat poll results in Idukki district will throw more light on the electoral results expected in the 2026 assembly elections.