Lok Sabha Elections 2024 | Indian National Congress hopes for overwhelming majority from Priyanka in Wayanad

Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian National Congress’ decision to field Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad has evoked a huge reaction from party workers at the grassroots level, while the CPI and BJP have voiced their criticism.

Congress activists in Wayanad are hoping for a landslide victory for Priyanka in her maiden elections, with a margin of around 500,000 votes. The Indian United Muslim League (IUML) leadership has also wholeheartedly welcomed the Congress’ decision to nominate Priyanka over Rahul Gandhi in its stronghold. Jubilant party workers posted pictures of Priyanka on social media, welcoming her to Wayanad.

Indian National Congress sources said Priyanka will visit Wayanad along with Rahul in July.

Meanwhile, the Kerala BJP leadership has slammed the party for trying to make Wayanad a seat for Rahul’s family, with state BJP leader K Surendran suggesting that Priyanka’s husband, Robert Vadra, might also be making his electoral debut in Kerala.

CPI state secretary Benoy Vishwam said if this was the Congress’s plan, a senior leader like Rahul should not have joined it by contesting from Wayanad.

CPI leader Annie Raja and BJP state president K Surendran, who contested against Rahul from Wayanad in the current Lok Sabha elections as the LDF and NDA candidates respectively, said it was up to their respective parties to decide whether to contest again.

Rahul, who had won by a margin of 430,000 votes in the 2019 election, managed to get a margin of just 364,000 votes this time. The Indian National Congress’ vote share fell to 59.7 per cent from 64.9 per cent in 2019. However, the NDA’s vote share increased from 7.25 per cent in 2019 to 13 per cent this time. Annie Raja failed to make a significant impact and the Left’s vote share increased only marginally from 25.24 per cent in 2019 to 26.09 per cent now.