Polling is being held for Lok Sabha polls in Kerala’s Wayanad today, November 13. Congress General Secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her electoral debut from here.
Priyanka‘s brother, Rahul Gandhi won Wayanad in 2024 Lok Sabha election. Rahul, however, decided to vacate Wayanad and retain Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, whch he also won in the general election.
Days after the June 4 results of general elections, the Congress announced that Rahul will retain the Raebareli seat and vacate the Wayanad seat paving way for hissister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to make her electoral debut.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is pitted against Left Democratic Front candidate Sathyan Mokeri, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee Navya Haridas, and 13 others in Wayanad.
Polling in Wayanad began at 7 am in over 1,000 booths, with special security measures implemented, officials said. Wayanad has about 14 lakh eligible voters.
Another Gandhi Member in Parliament?
Rahul Gandhi won the seat in 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. In 2024, Rahul victory margin in Wayanad was over 3.5 lakh votes, while in 2019, it was over 4.3 lakh votes.
Rahul also campaigned for her sister, along with other Congress leaders during the campaign for Wayanad bypoll.
If elected, this will be the first time that Priyanka Gandhi Vadrawill enter Parliament as a Member of Parliament (MP). This will also be the first time that the three Gandhi family members –Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka – will be in Parliament together.
Rahul Gandhi is a Lok Sabha MP and also Leader of Opposition in the House. Their mother Sonia Gandhi a member of Rajya Sabha.
Active since 2019
Priyanka has been active in politics since 2019. At times, she has often been projected as a possible challenger toPrime Minister Narendra Modi and also, as a successor to Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi in the family bastion Raebareli.
Earlier, Priyanka was the Congress in-charge of Uttar Pradesh in 2020 assembly polls which the party lost badly. Priyanka gradually emerged as the party’s strategist and star campaigner, helping the Congress make impressive gains in some states as well as in theLok Sabha polls 2024held earlier in the year.