Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a prominent leader of the Congress party, officially entered electoral politics on Wednesday by filing her nomination for the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election in Kerala. Although her political career began years ago, this marks her first time contesting an election. Priyanka was accompanied by her mother, Sonia Gandhi, and her brother, Rahul Gandhi, the former MP of Wayanad. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was also present to support her as she took this significant step in her political journey.
Before filing her nomination, Priyanka participated in a roadshow, joined by Rahul, who represented the Wayanad constituency in the previous term. On Tuesday, Priyanka arrived in Wayanad, accompanied by Sonia Gandhi, ahead of the formal nomination process. Prior to the event, they held discussions with local Congress leaders to finalize their campaign strategy.
In the last general elections, Rahul Gandhi contested from both Wayanad in Kerala and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. During that campaign, Priyanka played a crucial role in rallying support for her brother in both constituencies. Rahul emerged victorious in both seats, winning by a margin of over 350,000 votes. However, on June 17th, he announced his resignation from the Wayanad seat while retaining Raebareli, thus paving the way for Priyanka to contest the by-election in Wayanad.
The by-election is scheduled for November 13, with the results to be declared on November 23. Priyanka Gandhi’s primary opponents in Wayanad are CPI’s state secretary and former legislator Satyan Mokeri, and Navya Haridas, the BJP’s Women’s Wing state general secretary. Navya has twice won municipal elections in Kozhikode and is considered a strong contender. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, CPI had fielded Annie Raja, wife of CPI General Secretary D. Raja, against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad. Now, the battle lines are drawn as Priyanka takes on a new political challenge.
Alongside the Wayanad by-election, several other significant elections are also taking place. On November 13, Maharashtra and Jharkhand will hold assembly elections, and by-elections will be held for two Lok Sabha and 48 assembly seats across 15 states. The results of these elections will also be announced on November 23, making it a crucial day in Indian politics.
With Priyanka Gandhi now entering electoral politics, her debut is expected to energize the Congress party and its supporters. All eyes are on Wayanad as Priyanka aims to retain the seat that Rahul Gandhi once held.