Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on the last day of the bypoll campaign for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat on Monday and promised to transform the hill district into a "world class" tourism destination.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka is the UDF candidate contesting in the November 13 by-election for the hill constituency.
This was the second time Rahul participated in the election campaign for Priyanka. He had previously joined the campaign on October 23 when she arrived in Kalpetta to file her nomination.
"As a challenge, I will help her (Priyanka Gandhi) in any way possible. And the challenge is to make the name of Wayanad known as the best tourism destination in the world," Rahul said while addressing a gathering, followed by a roadshow with Priyanka from Assumption Junction to Chungam Junction in Sultan Bathery.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the people of Wayanad taught him that the word "love" has an important place in politics. "I did not use that word, but the people of Wayanad taught me that it has a great place in politics," he added.
Rahul also stated that love and affection are the only "weapons to combat hatred and anger".
A huge crowd gathered on both sides of the road from Assumption Junction to Chungam Junction in Sultan Bathery.
Later, the Lok Sabha Opposition leader also attended a roadshow with Priyanka in the Thiruvambady assembly segment, which is part of the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.
Addressing a massive gathering, Rahul said, "I began my political career in 2004 and became the MP of Wayanad in 2019. For 15 years, I never used the word 'love' in my politics. But when I came to Wayanad, 'love' entered my political vocabulary."
He added, "And when I went on the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, the main objective of that yatra was to use love and affection as a political instrument." The Wayanad by-election, scheduled for November 13, was necessitated after Rahul vacated the seat following his victory in Raebareli in the recent parliamentary elections.