Record turnout in Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad in LS polls

Billed as a key seat given the presence of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on the ballot, the Wayanad Lok Sabha segment witnessed a record turnout of voters Tuesday as polling was held in the State's 20 constituencies.

The voting percentage was 76.21 as of 6 pm when the polling time officially ended, three per cent more than what was recorded in 2014 (73.2).

According to official sources, a large number of people were still in the queue at polling stations and the figure would go up when the final figures are tabulated.

Buoyed by the large turnout, the Congress-led UDF claimed a 'record breaking margin' for Gandhi in Wayanad when the votes are counted on May 23.

The CPI-M-led LDF admitted that Gandhis candidature was the reason for the massive turnout in polling stations but claimed that the hard work done by the Left workers for their candidate P P Suneer also contributed towards it.

"He (Rahul) will get record-breaking margin in Wayanad," AICC general sSecretary K C Venugopal, who led Gandhis campaign in the hill constituency, told PTI.

The senior congress leader also claimed that there was a 'Rahul wave' across Kerala.

"The huge turnout of the people in the elections in Wayanad and other constituencies is a befitting reply by people of Kerala to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah for their divisive political agenda," he said.

Shah had branded Wayanad as part of Pakistan during election campaign, Venugopal alleged.

Shah, apparently referring to the green flags of UDF ally the Indian Union Muslim League, seen during the rally organised in Kalpetta soon after Gandhi filed his papers on April 4, had reportedly said Gandhi was contesting from such a seat where when a roadshow was organised "one cannot make out whether the place is India or Pakistan."