The Wayanad landslide of 7 July, which killed eight people and displaced many near Meenakshi Bridge in Kalladi, has opened a fresh political front between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress, with the BJP accusing Congress leaders — particularly Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the sitting Wayanad Lok Sabha MP — of abandoning the constituency in its hour of crisis. Congress has pushed back, arguing that VIP visits obstruct relief operations on the ground.

BJP's Charges Against the Gandhi Siblings

BJP national spokesperson C.R. Kesavan said, 'Wayanad is nothing but a political pawn for the Congress' first family. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has completely neglected Wayanad and abandoned the constituency like an absentee landlord, much like Rahul Gandhi did when he was the MP.' The party accused both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of running a 'use-and-throw model' — winning elections from the constituency and then going missing during crises.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala was sharper in his criticism: 'Days after the latest Wayanad landslide claimed lives and caused widespread devastation, neither Rahul Gandhi nor Priyanka Vadra has found the time to visit the affected area or meet the victims. This is their use-and-throw model.' BJP spokesperson Tuhin Sinha called them 'political tourists' and said that beyond a single condolence post on social media, the Gandhi siblings were behaving like 'part-time politicians.'

Congress Defends the Decision Not to Visit

Pawan Khera, Congress media and publicity chairman, dismissed the BJP's charges as politically motivated. He said, 'If there is a natural disaster, why should there be a VIP visit. There should be a VIP visit only to flag the gaps before the government, if it is insensitive in addressing the concerns of victims and their woes. Right now, the government in Kerala is active, relief measures are underway, and there is no need to disrupt those measures.' Khera added that those questioning the absence of the Gandhi siblings 'must understand that VIP visits are meant to flag the gaps and missing links. There is no such need.'

Background: The Wayanad Landslide

The disaster struck on 7 July near Meenakshi Bridge in Kalladi, a site designed to connect Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. Incessant rainfall triggered the mudslide, burying local infrastructure and trapping several construction workers on site. At least eight people were killed. The Kerala government has reportedly activated relief and restoration efforts in the affected zone.

Notably, Wayanad has been a Gandhi family constituency for consecutive election cycles. Rahul Gandhi held the seat before vacating it in favour of Rae Bareli in the 2024 general elections, after which Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contested and won the seat — marking her electoral debut.

Political Context and What It Signals

The exchange is the latest in a pattern of BJP targeting the Congress leadership on constituency neglect — a line of attack that gained traction during the 2024 Wayanad landslide, when the disaster claimed over 200 lives and drew national attention to the district's vulnerability. Critics argue that both parties have historically used Wayanad's geography as a political stepping stone without sustained developmental investment. This comes amid a broader BJP campaign to frame the Gandhi family as disconnected from grassroots realities ahead of upcoming state elections.

Whether the no-visit stance ultimately hurts Congress in Wayanad will likely depend on the pace and quality of relief delivery on the ground — a variable neither party fully controls.