Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said that Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency was a challege to the Left and not a battle against the BJP.

"Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad is a challenge to Left. Wayanad is one among the 20 constituencies and doesn't need to be seen as any different. We will fight him," Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Pinarayi Vijayan said this after Congress party announced that Rahul Gandhi would be contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad in Kerala, along with Amethi.

Pinarayi Vijayan also said that no one in Kerala is going to see Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad candidature as Congress's battle against the BJP.

"He [Rahul Gandhi] should have contested from a constituency where BJP is contesting. This is nothing but a fight against the Left," Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Prakash Karat, ex-general secretary CPI(M) said that Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad goes against Congress's national commitment to fight the BJP.

"Decision of Congress to field Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad shows their priority is to fight the Left in Kerala. It goes against Congress's national commitment to fight the BJP, as in Kerala it's Left Democratic Front which is the main force fighting BJP," Prakash Karat said.

Prakash Karat also said that the CPI(M) opposed the fact that Congress is going to target the Left in Kerala and would work to ensure Rahul Gandhi's defeat in Wayanad in the Lok Sabha elections.

"To pick a candidate like Rahul Gandhi against Left means that Congress is going to target the Left in Kerala. This is something which we will strongly oppose and, in this election, we will work to ensure the defeat of Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad," Prakash Karat said.

BJP also slammed Rahul gandhi for choosing a second seat to contest for Lok Sabha elections.

"Well, Rahul Gandhi made it easier for the people of Amethi to decide," BJP leader Maheesh Sharma said.

BJP leader Maneka Gandhi said that it was Rahul Gandhi's right to choose more than one seat to contest the Lok Sabha elections from.

"What can I say? It is his [Rahul Gandhi] right to do what he wants," Maneka Gandhi said.

"I do not know what is going on in his heart but I can say that we are going to win from both Wayanad and Amethi," Maneka Gandhi.

Former Union minister and the BJP’s Mahila Morcha in-charge D Purandeshwari said, "Is he not sure of his victory in the seat he was only representing? PM Modi always contested in two. Here, we have Rahul Gandhi who didn’t contest in two, but is doing so now."