Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra traveled from Delhi to Kerala’s Wayanad on Tuesday to file her nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha by-elections. Priyanka is the party’s candidate for the Wayanad constituency, and she will officially submit her nomination papers on Wednesday, accompanied by key party figures including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and their mother, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Confidence in Priyanka’s Candidature
Expressing confidence in Priyanka’s ability to represent Wayanad effectively, Rahul Gandhi stated on X, “The people of Wayanad hold a special place in my heart, and I can’t imagine a better representative for them than my sister, Priyanka Gandhi. I’m confident she will be a passionate champion of Wayanad’s needs and a powerful voice in Parliament.” He also emphasized the importance of the collective efforts of the Congress and its allies in protecting the Constitution and democracy.
On Monday, Priyanka Gandhi met with Kharge in Delhi to strategize for the campaign leading up to the by-elections, which are scheduled for November 13. She will lead a roadshow from Kalpetta New Bus Stand on Wednesday morning before filing her nomination later in the day.
This by-election marks Priyanka Gandhi’s electoral debut after five years of active political involvement. If she secures victory, she will become the third member of the Gandhi family to serve in Parliament, following in the footsteps of her brother Rahul Gandhi and their mother Sonia Gandhi. She faces competition from Navya Haridas of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Sathyan Mokeri from the Left Democratic Front (LDF), with Haridas being a two-time Kozhikode Corporation councillor.
As part of her campaign efforts, Congress has appointed Saral Patel as the media coordinator for Wayanad in preparation for the by-election.