Rahul Gandhi urges govt to declare Wayanad calamity a national disaster
New Delhi, Aug 7: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called on the government to declare the recent calamity in Kerala's Wayanad a national disaster.
Speaking during Zero Hour, Gandhi also demanded higher compensation for the people affected.
Emphasising the need to declare the Wayanad landslides a national disaster, he said, "I saw it with my own eyes. I visited many different places where the disaster took place. In some cases, an entire family is gone, with just one person remaining, sometimes an adult or a child."
He also expressed his gratitude to those who helped during the disaster.
"With more than 200 dead and a vast number missing, the eventual casualty count may exceed 400," Gandhi said.
He commended the work of the state governments of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana for their assistance as well the central forces and the army that helped in the rescue operations.
Gandhi also highlighted the unity shown by communities.
"It is heartening to see all communities coming together to help people, regardless of different ideologies," he noted.
He pointed out that the landslides had cut off vital roads, exacerbating the crisis.
"It is a huge tragedy," Gandhi said, urging the government to provide a comprehensive rehabilitation package, build disaster-resistant infrastructure and enhance compensation for the affected.
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LIVE | Election Results of five states 2026
New Delhi: The countdown has begun for the counting of votes for the Assembly elections in five states that have captured the attention of people across the country.
The counting of votes for the Assembly constituencies of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry will begin simultaneously at 8 am, and the fate of candidates in a total of 824 constituencies will be decided shortly.
The counting of postal ballots will take place first, followed by the counting of EVM votes in several rounds.
► AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami is leading in Tamil Nadu’s Edappadi constituency
► In Puducherry, BJP is leading in 3 seats.
► In Assam, BJP is leading in 56 seats, while Congress is leading in 12 seats.
► Suvendhu Adhikari leads in both Bhabanipur and Nandigram
► West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee faces setback in Bhabanipur constituency
► Bhupen Borah, who recently left Congress and joined the BJP, is leading in Assam’s Bihpuria constituency
► Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is leading in Jalukabari constituency
► BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is leading in West Bengal’s Nandigram constituencyFive-state elections: Postal vote counting begins
► TMC, BJP lead in one seat each in West Bengal
► In Tamil Nadu, DMK leads in 3 constituencies, while TVK leads in 1
► UDF leads in 5 seats in Kerala, BJP in 1, LDF in 1
► BJP leads in 2 seats, AIUDF in 1 in Assam
► AINRC leads in 1 constituency in Puducherry
► TMC leads in 5 seats in West Bengal; Mamata Banerjee’s party maintains initial lead
► Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin leads in Kolathur
► BJP takes early lead in Assam
► Congress-led UDF leads in Kerala
► Tamil Nadu, TVK chief Vijay leads in the Perambur constituency, lags in Tiruchirappalli South
► BJP leads in 10 seats in Assam
► LDF candidate V.P.P. Mustafa leads in the Thrikkaripur Assembly constituency
► Out of 294 seats in West Bengal, BJP is leading in 14 seats, TMC in 12 seats, Congress in 2 seats
► Out of 234 seats in Tamil Nadu, DMK is leading in 15 seats, AIADMK is leading in 5 seats, TVK is leading in 2 seats
► Out of 126 seats in Assam, BJP is leading in 31 seats, Congress in 4 seats, AIUDF in 2 seats.
► Out of 30 seats in Puducherry, NRC+ is leading in 3 seats, Congress in 2 seats, TVK in 1 seat.
► Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury suffers a setback in theBerhampore constituency in West Bengal.
