Kozhikode,25 March (HS):

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has cancelled his scheduled visit to Kozhikode on Wednesday, where he was expected to participate in key campaign events for the United Democratic Front (UDF) ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections.

The Congress leadership confirmed that party president Mallikarjun Kharge will instead attend the campaign programmes in Kozhikode, stepping in to support UDF candidates in the region.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit was called off following the hospitalisation of his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi. She was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after experiencing respiratory complications, sources said. Both Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are currently by her side.

Earlier, the Congress had announced that Rahul Gandhi would address a major public gathering at Kozhikode Beach at around 4:30 p.m. The event was expected to be a key highlight of the UDF’s campaign push in northern Kerala, with party leaders anticipating a significant boost in momentum.

In addition to the public rally, Rahul Gandhi was also scheduled to flag off a campaign bus aimed at promoting the Congress party’s electoral guarantees. He was further expected to engage in a public interaction focusing on pressing issues such as the rising cost of cooking gas and its impact on households.

With Kharge now taking over the scheduled engagements, the Congress aims to maintain the campaign’s intensity in the region. Party leaders expressed confidence that the revised programme would continue to energise cadres and strengthen outreach efforts among voters.

The sudden change in plans, however, underscores the personal circumstances impacting the party’s top leadership even as the high-stakes election campaign gathers pace across Kerala.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman