The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday criticised Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for allegedly failing to visit the constituency following the deadly landslide at a tunnel construction site in Kerala’s Wayanad district.
The attack came as rescue teams recovered the body of the last missing worker, taking the death toll in the July 7 landslide to eight and bringing the multi-agency search operation to an end.
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan accused the Congress leadership of neglecting Wayanad during a time of crisis and alleged that the constituency had become a “political pawn” for the Gandhi family.
In a post on social media platform X, Kesavan questioned why Priyanka Gandhi had not visited the disaster-hit area or met the families of those who lost their lives.
The BJP leader alleged that apart from issuing a social media message expressing concern, the Wayanad MP had not made any visible effort to support the victims or their families.
“Wayanad has become nothing but a political pawn for the Congress first family,” Kesavan said, while questioning Priyanka Gandhi’s absence from the constituency in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Kesavan also referred to former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, claiming that residents had often complained about his lack of engagement with the constituency during his tenure.
According to the BJP leader, many voters believed Rahul Gandhi rarely visited Wayanad despite representing the constituency in Parliament.
He further alleged that Rahul Gandhi later shifted his political focus to Rae Bareli after the Lok Sabha elections and accused the Congress of treating Wayanad as an electoral stronghold rather than a constituency requiring sustained engagement.
The BJP spokesperson claimed that the same pattern was continuing under Priyanka Gandhi’s representation.
The political exchange unfolded as rescue teams recovered the body of the last person feared trapped under debris at the landslide site.
The incident occurred at Kalladi in Wayanad district, where construction work was underway on the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel project, a key infrastructure initiative intended to improve connectivity between Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.
Authorities had been searching for Vikram Rana, the final missing worker, for several days after heavy rains triggered a massive landslide at the project site.
The search operation involved personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Special Operations Group (SOG), Fire and Rescue Services, Rapid Response Teams, the Forest Department and local volunteer groups.
Teams continued combing through debris and unstable terrain for nearly five days before locating the final missing person.
With the recovery of the last body on Sunday, authorities officially concluded the search and rescue operation.
The tragedy has not only raised questions about safety measures at infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive regions but has also triggered a political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the response of elected representatives.
The BJP has sought to highlight Priyanka Gandhi’s absence from the constituency, while Congress leaders have expressed condolences and support for the affected families.
The landslide has also renewed scrutiny of construction activities in the Western Ghats region, where environmental experts have repeatedly warned about the risks posed by heavy monsoon rainfall and fragile hill slopes.
As Wayanad mourns the loss of eight lives, the disaster continues to fuel debate over disaster preparedness, infrastructure safety and political accountability in one of Kerala’s most disaster-prone districts.
