Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress party is leading by more than 3 lakh votes in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, with the results showing a strong early advantage after the first two hours of counting on Saturday, November 23.
The counting, which began at 8 AM, initially focused on postal ballots, and the strong rooms holding the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were opened over an hour before the process started. As of 10 AM, the Election Commission of India (ECI) reported that Priyanka Gandhi had secured 3,47,285 votes, leading her closest competitor, Sathyan Mokeri of the Communist Party of India, by a significant margin. BJP’s Navya Haridas trailed in third place.
Wayanad, a traditional stronghold of the Congress, is witnessing a triangular contest between Priyanka Gandhi, Navya Haridas from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Sathyan Mokeri representing the Left.
Priyanka is contesting from this seat as a United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, following the vacating of the Wayanad seat by her brother, Rahul Gandhi. After being elected from both Wayanad and Raebareli in the 2019 general elections, Rahul Gandhi chose to retain his Raebareli seat, leaving Wayanad open for a bypoll.If Priyanka secures a victory, she will become the third member of the Gandhi family to enter Parliament, further cementing the family’s political legacy.
Despite the early trends showing a strong lead for Priyanka Gandhi, BJP candidate Navya Haridas expressed confidence in her party’s chances. Speaking to the media earlier in the day, Haridas claimed that voters in Wayanad would choose the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) if they desired development. She pointed out that voter turnout had decreased, claiming that the local mood was less favorable to the Congress following Rahul Gandhi’s decision to vacate the seat.
The counting process continues, and the final result is eagerly awaited.
