'Rahul Gandhi can contest only from Wayanad': MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar's dig after release of Congress list

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 8 (ANI): Union Minister and BJP candidate from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram for Lok Sabha elections, Rajeev Chandrasekhar took a dig at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday after he was named candidate from Kerala's Wayanad, a seat he won in 2019.
MoS Chandrasekhar claimed that Rahul Gandhi cannot contest from anywhere else in the country but Wayanad. He further claimed that this time the people of Kerala will not give their mandate to the grand old party.
"All the best to them (Congress). Rahul Gandhi cannot contest from any other seat anywhere in the country. He can only come to Wayanad and we all know why. I think the people of Kerala this time will not give the Congress the mandate they gave in the last election. The people of India want a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.
Chandrasekhar will be contesting against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram, a seat Tharoor has held for three terms.
Speaking on his candidature, Tharoor earlier in the day thanked the grand old party on Friday for the opportunity to 'defend his seat' and said that the "BJP is going to find it very tough to even repeat the 303 they had".
He also pointed to the leaders jumping the ship ahead of polls and said that leaders shifting to other parties doesn't mean that there is some conflict or confusion rather the "individuals have their own ambitions in politics."
Congress released its first list of candidates for 39 Lok Sabha constituencies. The names have been announced for Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshwadeep, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Telangana and Tripura.
Of the total 39 candidates announced, 16 are from Kerala, seven from Karnataka and six from Chhattisgarh, four from Telangana. Two from Meghalaya and one each from Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and Lakshwadeep. The list was released after the party held its Central Election Committee meeting on Thursday.
A total of 16 candidates have been announced from Kerala, including Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram and Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad, seat he won in 2019. Congress party's second Election Committee meeting will be held on March 11 in Delhi to discuss the candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP has already released its first list of 195 candidates. The Lok Sabha polls are likely to be held in April-May this year. (ANI)