Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is poised to succeed her brother, Rahul Gandhi, as the Member of Parliament for Wayanad in Kerala. Making her electoral debut, Priyanka leads the parliamentary by-election by a significant margin of over 1.5 lakh votes. The by-election was held to fill the seat vacated by Rahul Gandhi following his move to Rae Bareli.
Priyanka Gandhi has secured over 1.9 lakh votes so far, leaving CPI veteran Sathyan Mokeri trailing with around 65,000 votes. BJP candidate Navya Haridas is in third place, with approximately 35,000 votes. In total, 16 candidates contested the election in Wayanad.
Rahul Gandhi first won the Wayanad seat in 2019, allowing him to remain in the Lok Sabha after losing in Amethi. In the 2024 general elections, he contested and won from both Wayanad and Rae Bareli, the latter vacated by Sonia Gandhi when she moved to the Rajya Sabha. Opting to retain Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi paved the way for Priyanka Gandhi to contest in Wayanad.
The Gandhis have made Wayanad a high-priority seat, with both Rahul and Sonia Gandhi actively campaigning for Priyanka in the run-up to the by-election. Their efforts aimed to secure a victory margin of over 5 lakh votes.
During his campaign, Rahul Gandhi challenged his sister to turn Wayanad into a premier tourist destination, saying, “When people think of Kerala, the first destination should be Wayanad. This will benefit the local economy and showcase the region’s beauty to the world.” He also reassured the constituency of his continued involvement, noting that Wayanad would effectively have two MPs, one of whom would be “unofficial.”
The by-election comes as votes are being counted across 48 assembly seats and two parliamentary constituencies in 15 states.
Results for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections are also expected later today.
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