Poll Swaps: Congress’s Rahul Gandhi Flirts With Lost Bastion Amethi, BJP’s Bhupender Yadav Camps in Wayanad

At a time when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra reached his former constituency, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Union Environment Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhupender Yadav is set to visit Gandhi’s present constituency — Wayanad in Kerala — and camp there for two days.

On Tuesday, Yadav held a meeting at his ministry to “review the recent incidents of man-animal conflict at Pulpally in Wayanad district of Kerala”, saying he would “personally visit Wayanad” to “find solutions”. The trigger seems to be public protests that have erupted in Pulpally, after a 52-year-old ecotourism guide was killed in an elephant attack, the second human fatality in such an attack in the district within a week.

But there’s more to it than meets the eye.

TIMING IS KEY

Man-animal conflict is not new in Wayanad. At least 44 people has been killed and hundreds injured in wild animal attacks in Wayanad since 2014. Yadav has been heading the ministry since July 2021. Like the current protest, there have been numerous protests in the past. But the fact that he chose precisely this time to not only convene an urgent meeting, go to Wayanad and camp there for two days seems more than coincidental at a time when Wayanad MP Gandhi is making overtures in Amethi.

With a fleet of around 50 cars, Gandhi arrived in Amethi, where he lost by 55,000 votes to BJP’s Smriti Irani. Traversing across Kakwa Road, Sagra Tiraha, Raipur Phulawari, Gauriganj and Babuganj, Gandhi has been desperately trying to make a connection with the people of Amethi. “I have come to Amethi and you have welcomed me with love. Our relationship is long-standing, one of love. I thank you all from my heart,” he said.

Yadav, who was till not so long ago a powerful BJP General Secretary, continues to be a National Executive Member and the select Central Election Committee (CEC) of the party. He was in-charge of the BJP’s recently concluded Madhya Pradesh election and Gujarat election in 2022. Will this dent Gandhi’s fortune should Congress renominate him from Wayanad?

“Well, things aren’t looking so bright for Gandhi in Wayanad. You can’t be a tourist and expect to win,” BJP leader Tom Vadakkan, who has worked closely with Gandhi while in the Congress, told News18, “Mr Yadav is duty-bound to listen to the people of Wayanad and he is doing so. But so is Mr Gandhi. But where is he?”

A BJP source told News18, “With such a senior BJP leader camping in Wayanad, it is bound to unsettle Gandhi who isn’t getting great crowds in Uttar Pradesh anyway.” The source added, “Don’t be surprised if the yatra is preponed further.”

The yatra that was to culminate on March 20 will now end around March 10, giving Gandhi and the Congress machinery more time for the Lok Sabha campaign.

THE MAN-ANIMAL CONFLICT

Public protests have erupted in Wayanad after a radio-collared wild elephant strayed into the residential area in Pulpally town on February 10 and trampled over a 47-year-old farmer. “We remain committed to do everything it takes to protect human lives and maintain ecological balance. We will visit Wayanad on Wednesday to review the situation and find solutions,” he tweeted.

Human-elephant conflict has been a major conservation issue in all forest divisions of Kerala, especially in the northern, and mitigation measures have been just partially effective. Wayanad alone has lost about 44 people in such human-animal conflicts in the past 10 years. Of late, the issue has become graver with increasing cases of such conflict due to habitat loss and fragmentation, say officials.

The environment ministry had earlier also issued detailed advisory followed by guidelines to all states and UTs to deal with human-wildlife conflict situations. It included setting up rapid response teams, as well as provision of adequate funds for a suitable portion of ex-gratia relief to be paid within 24 hours to the affected persons in case of death and injury to persons.

While the states/union territories pay compensation as per their norms, the environment ministry also releases funds under its Centrally Sponsored Schemes to curb human-wildlife conflict. It had recently increased the ex-gratia payment in case of human-widlife conflict to Rs 10 lakh. As per the government data, around Rs 921 crore was released to Kerala in the current financial year under the scheme.