Thiruvananthapuram: When Congress leader Rahul Gandhi campaigned in Wayanad in Kerala in 2019, his sister and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who ran as a candidate alongside him, tweeted, “My brother, my loyalest friend and the bravest man I know. Take good care of him, Wayanad. He will not let you down.”
Five years have passed and Rahul has not disappointed the people of Wayanad and as per the people’s wishes, Priyanka has joined the fight on his behalf.
Ever since Rahul’s possible resignation from Wayanad for political reasons emerged, there has been speculation – or rather hope among the people – that Priyanka will make her electoral debut from the high seat. Priyanka is not an unfamiliar face in Wayanad as she was part of Rahul’s campaign roadshows in 2019 and 2024.
Local sources in the Indian National Congress party in Wayanad told DH that Wayanad will give Priyanka a more glamorous victory than the one Rahul got in 2019. “Everyone at the grassroots level is excited about Priyanka’s decision to replace Rahul. So, a landslide victory is assured,” said Hussain Kutty, an Indian United Muslim League (IUML) figure in Wayanad constituency.
The Wayanad Assembly constituency comprises three assembly constituencies in Wayanad, three in the neighbouring Malappuram district and one in Kozhikode. The seat is Muslim-majority and Congress’ coalition partner, the IUML, has significant influence there. It is therefore considered a safe seat for the Congress.
Wayanad literally saved Rahul’s face in 2019, when he lost in his incumbent Amethi constituency, winning by a landslide margin of 430,000 votes. This time, however, widespread criticism of his lack of presence in the constituency narrowed Rahul’s margin of victory to 360,000 votes. Moreover, BJP state president K. Surendran, who contested against Rahul this time, secured 140,000 votes, whereas NDA candidate and BDJS leader Tushar Veellapalli secured just 78,800 votes in 2019.
The CPI fielded its senior leader Annie Raja in Wayanad constituency this time, a decision that appears to have been unpopular with the Left parties, as he managed to secure nearly 10,000 more votes than the party’s candidate PP Sunil got in 2019. As such, Raja may be unlikely to contest again.
Wayanad has a total of 14,62,423 voters of which 7,41,354 are women, 7,21,054 men and 15 are of the third gender.
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Published June 17, 2024 16:47 IST
