The Congress party has announced Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as its candidate for the upcoming Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election, scheduled for November 13. This marks her debut in electoral politics after years of involvement in the party’s organisational activities.
The decision was made public on Tuesday evening, positioning Priyanka as the party’s key contender in a seat previously held by her brother, Rahul Gandhi.
The Wayanad bypoll became necessary after Rahul Gandhi resigned from the seat, having contested and won both the Wayanad and Rae Bareli constituencies in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Rahul chose to retain his Uttar Pradesh seat, leaving the Wayanad seat vacant.
Rahul had first won Wayanad in 2019 and again in 2024, securing a significant victory this year with a margin of 364,000 votes against Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate Annie Raja.
Other Candidates Announced
Alongside Priyanka Gandhi’s candidacy for Wayanad, the Congress has named its picks for two assembly by-elections in Kerala. Rahul Mamkootathil, the state Youth Congress president, will contest from the Palakkad assembly seat, while former MP Ramya Haridas will represent the party in the Chelakkara assembly bypoll. These two seats became vacant after their previous incumbents, Shafi Parambil and K Radhakrishnan, were elected to the Lok Sabha.
Polling in all three constituencies will take place on November 13, with vote counting scheduled for November 23. These elections are part of a larger by-election exercise covering 48 assembly and two parliamentary constituencies across the country.
CPI and BJP Yet to Announce Candidates
While the Congress has revealed its candidates, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have yet to announce their picks for the Wayanad bypoll. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam confirmed that his party, which will contest the seat as part of LDF’s seat-sharing arrangements, is in the process of selecting a candidate. The CPI is expected to announce its nominee after internal party meetings on October 17.
