Congress' food kits for landslide-hit Wayanad with photos of Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi seized; kick up row

Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 30 food kits supplied by the Congress units in Karnataka to distribute to landslide-affected people of Wayanad triggered a fresh political row as the kits contained the pictures of Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi, who is contesting the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll.

Apart from Priyanka, pictures of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar were also printed on the provision kit packets.

A flying squad of the Election Commission seized the kits from the flour mill located near the residence of a local Congress local leader at Tholpetty in Wayanad. The kits contained tea dust, sugar, rice and other grocery items.

CPI(M) alleged that the kits with the pictures of the leaders meant to influence the voters. However, the Congress denied the allegation stating that the kits were meant for distribution to the landslide affected.

Congress MLA T Siddique said that the kits could not be distributed as elections were declared. SImilar kits are kept at many places for distribution after the elections, he added.

Meanwhile, supply of worm infested rice and provision items to the landslide-hit through the Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad also triggered a row leading to tense situation.

While the CPI(M) government criticised the Congress-led United Democratic Front ruled Meppadi panchayat for the lapses in timely distribution of the items, the panchayat authorities maintained that the rice was received from the state government a few days ago only.

CPI(M) and Congress workers staged protests, which led to a tense situation at the Meppadi panchayat.