The picturesque district, sitting high on the Western Ghats, is popularly known for its tourism potential on account of it being located at altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 meters. On Sunday, Wayanad also became the battleground for political ascendancy, becoming the second constituency after Amethi from where Congress President Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections.
Culturally, Wayanad is very diverse — nearly half of its population is Muslim, the rest are Hindus and Christians. The constituency was carved out of the erstwhile Kannur, Kozhikode and Malappuram Lok Sabha constituencies in 2009 after delimitation.
Clearly, the race is for bagging the minority Muslim and Christian votes. With the Indian Union Muslim League being part of the Congress-led UDF, the seat is considered “safest” for the Congress.