New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made an emphatic electoral debut in Kerala’s Wayanad parliamentary bypolls, where she won by a four lakh-plus margin against her nearest rival, CPI’s Sathyan Mokeri.
More importantly, Priyanka surpassed her brother Rahul Gandhi’s win margin of 3.64 lakh votes.
Priyanka got 6,22,338 votes while Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas managed 2,11,407 and 1,09,939 votes, respectively.
The win holds significance since all three members of the Gandhi family—Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka—are in Parliament at the same time. Sonia is currently a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan, while Rahul is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The Congress invested heavily in the campaign for Priyanka’s poll debut, focusing on local issues such as agrarian distress and the rehabilitation of landslide victims.
On the eve of the results, Congress leader Sachin Pilot hoped for a “historic win” for Priyanka, adding that she was connected with party workers nationwide with years of political work behind her. “Rahul Gandhi as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha has taken on the government, forcing them to be more accountable, and Priyankaji joining the ranks will be tough days for the NDA,” he said.
Wayanad, which went to polls on 13 November, comprises the seven assembly segments of Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery, and Kalpetta in Wayanad district; Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district; and Eranad, Nilambur, and Wandoor in Malappuram district.
The bypoll was necessitated after Rahul vacated the seat as he decided to retain the Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh, which he also won.
With almost 14 lakh voters, this Lok Sabha segment saw a voter turnout of 64.24 percent, the lowest in Wayanad since 2009. In the Lok Sabha polls, it recorded a voter turnout of 72.92 percent.
Priyanka has been active in politics since 1999 when she started managing her mother Sonia Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituencies. She formally entered politics in 2019, and was made in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh. In her poll campaign in Wayanad, Priyanka was depicted as the next ‘Iron Woman’, just like her grandmother Indira Gandhi.
Her election to Parliament may also change power dynamics within the Congress party as a section in the party wants her to take a bigger role in the organisation. A functionary in Priyanka’s core team claims her election will be a boost for the party.
Also read: Medical infra woes & animal attacks. In left-behind Wayanad, residents wonder if Gandhis are answer