Wayanad bypolls: Voting is underway for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s election debut | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Voting is currently underway in Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency as Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra makes her much-awaited electoral debut.
Polling started at 7am and will continue until 6pm.
This bypoll gained significance after Rahul Gandhi, who had held the seat since 2019, decided to leave Wayanad to retain Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, a seat he also won in the 2024 general elections. Days after the June 4 election results, the Congress announced Rahul’s decision to leave Wayanad, paving the way for Priyanka’s entry into the constituency.
Priyanka is pitted against 15 candidates, including Sathyan Mokeri of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Navya Haridas of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Election Commission has prepared extensively for this bypoll and has distributed voting materials across 1,354 booths, all equipped with webcasting facilities to monitor the voting process.
Historically a Congress stronghold, Wayanad has consistently elected Congress MPs since its inception in 2008, with Rahul Gandhi scoring landslide victories in both 2019 and 2024, with margins of 4.3 lakh and 3.6 lakh votes respectively . The United Democratic Front (UDF) is now waging an intensive campaign to secure a substantial victory for Priyanka, banking on her appeal and the Congress’s traditional support base of minorities, settlers and tribal communities. Her campaign rallies have attracted a large female audience, which the UDF interprets as a promising indicator of her chances in the elections.
Sathyan Mokeri, the LDF candidate, is focused on retaining the Left’s voter base, as he did in 2014 when he reduced Congress’s victory margin. Meanwhile, NDA candidate Navya Haridas has been running a targeted campaign, targeting key areas of support and reaching out to Christian voters by tackling issues like the waqf dispute.
The campaign concluded with a “Kottikalasham” (festive closing ceremony), followed by a day of silent campaigning. Priyanka opted for a low-key approach on election night, visiting a farm and the Banasura Sagar Dam, while her LDF and NDA counterparts interacted with voters across the constituency. UDF is hopeful of a turnout that will exceed 2024’s 73.5%, and ideally reach 2019’s 80.3% turnout.
The LDF is banking on its organizational strength and Mokeri’s local recognition, while the NDA aims to maintain the larger vote share it achieved in the 2024 general elections. With the elections in full swing, Wayanad’s 14.7 lakh voters will decide the outcome of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s first foray into electoral politics.