Rahul Gandhi visits Wayanad, voters demand loan waiver, new hospitals

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is on a three-day visit to his parliamentary constituency-Wayanad, Saturday arrived at the MP facilitation centre in the district Collectorate here and accepted memorandums and complaints from the people.

Representatives of farmers, tribals and other marginalised sections of the high-range constituency were among those who visited and appraised him about their issues.

The Congress chief also held discussions with the local representatives, party leaders and officials of the district and collected information on various pressing issues of the Parliamentary constituency, which is spread across the north Kerala districts of Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhihode.

Gandhi, who reached the district headquarters in the morning along with state party leaders including KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala, was received by officials.

Senior Congress leader K C Venugopal later told reporters that Gandhi met around 22 delegations and ensured them that their issues would be taken up.

"Cutting across politics, a large number of people came to meet Rahul Gandhi and appraised him about their issues. Among the issues were some which have to be raised in Parliament... some others have to be taken up with the union government to find solutions," he said.

"Gandhi listened to their complaints patiently and ensured them to intervene as their MP," he added.

Congress leader and former MLA from Wayanad, K C Rosakutty said by meeting common people and listening to their grievances, the Gandhi scion had proved that he can be approached by everyone.

"He asked about pending issues regarding the constituency and we briefed him about it. Farmer suicides, waiving of agriculture loans, reinstating of fertiliser subsidy, Nilambur-Nachancode rail line, super speciality hospital on the model of AIIMS are some of the long-pending demands of Wayanad," she said.

"We hope that as an MP, he will effectively intervene into the issues of the constituency," she added.

After spending nearly an hour at the collectorate, Rahul Gandhi took out a road show in the Kalpetta town. He will also participate in five other road shows in the constituency later in the day.

Braving heavy rains, Gandhi had taken out road shows at various locations of Malappuram district of the constituency on Friday.

He will leave for New Delhi on Sunday after completing the three-day visit to the constituency.