Stakes high for Cong in Wayanad

Stakes are high for the Congress in Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, its stronghold in this hilly district, with party's sitting MP M I Shanavas locking horns with CPI's Sathyan Mokeri and P R Rashmilnath of BJP as electioneering enters the final phase for the April 10 polls.
The contestants are making all out efforts to reach out to as many voters as possible, criss-crossing the constituency, spread across three districts of Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode.
In the previous polls, Shanavas was elected by a margin of 1,53,439 votes, the highest margin for a candidate in the 15th Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Congress was slow off the blocks this time around as Socialist Janata Democratic (SJD), another partner in the UDF, staked claim for the seat. However, the issue was later solved and SJD was given the Palakkad seat.
On the other hand Sathyan, State President of All India Kisan Sabha, though a new face to the constituency, has had a head start as he launched his campaign a little ahead of his main rivals.
Sathyan, during his electioneering, has been raking up prime issues including the Kasturirangan panel report on conservation of Western Ghats, Wayanad package and the night traffic ban on the Kozhikode-Mysore Highway 212 and distribution of land to landless tribals.