THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Will Smriti Irani take on Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad as well? Speculation is rife that a senior BJP politician will stand against Rahul if he contests from the Kerala constituency.

The BJP and the BDJS (Bharat Dharma Jana Sena) are in discussion to make the contest in Wayanad a serious affair, if Rahul were to contest from that seat. The BDJS leadership has been informed about the possibility of BJP taking over the seat. “Definitely, there will be a serious fight in Wayanad if the Congress finalises it. A senior leader from the party will be contesting there then,” PS Sreedharan Pillai, BJP state president, said.

Several names are doing the rounds in the party circles and BJP’s central leadership will take the final call in such an eventuality, as the contest will grab national attention.

“It will be decided only after an announcement from the AICC. The BDJS has decided to declare their list of candidates on Tuesday, before which we expect an announcement from the AICC,” JR Padmakumar, BJP general secretary, said.

