NDA pits Thushar Vellappally against Rahul in Wayanad

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA on Monday fielded Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) chief Thushar Vellappally against Congress president Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala.

"I proudly announce Shri Thushar Vellappally, President of Bharat Dharma Jana Sena as NDA candidate from Wayanad. A vibrant and dynamic youth leader, he represents our commitment towards development and social justice. With him, NDA will emerge as Kerala's political alternative," Amit Shah tweeted.

Earlier, Congress had announced that Rahul will be contesting from Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala along with his traditional bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh to further strengthen the unity of north and south.

The BJP has stiched a formidable alliance with BDJS and Kerala Congress in Kerala in the run up to Lok Sabha elections.

BDJS has been allotted five Lok Sabha seats as per the seat-sharing agreement while the BJP is contesting from 14 seats and Kerala Congress from one.

The BDJS is the political arm of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), which works predominantly for the Ezhava community. The party was formed in 2015 and secured 4.47 per cent votes in 2016 assembly elections in Kerala.