Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the upcoming by-election for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, a move that comes after her brother, Rahul Gandhi, vacated the seat to retain his Raebareli constituency. The Congress party has also announced candidates for Kerala’s Assembly bypolls, fielding Rahul Mamkootathil for Palakkad and Ramya Haridas for Chelakkara.
The election campaign in Kerala concluded on April 24 with a distinctive style. Political leaders from various parties engaged in face-offs, while supporters showcased their dominance in the respective regions. Several prominent leaders, including Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Shashi Tharoor, Sunil Kumar, and K Muraleedharan, conducted their final campaigns in various locations across Kerala. This unique process is a characteristic of the electoral landscape in the state.
With less than 48 hours before the Kerala elections, all road shows and public rallies have concluded. Both the BJP and the Congress organized road shows and addressed large gatherings in Wayanad. BJP’s Annamalai crossed the state border to support candidate K Surendran, attracting over a thousand supporters. Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi’s sister, Priyanka, also held roadshows in Wayanad, where she addressed large crowds. Despite his absence due to a throat infection, Rahul Gandhi is expected to win the Wayanad seat for the second consecutive time, though with a reduced margin. Locals expressed concerns about Rahul Gandhi’s lack of fulfillment of promises made during his 2019 election campaign, including the night travel ban from Karnataka.
The upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Kerala have garnered national attention due to several factors. The two primary alliances, the Congress-led United Front and the CPI(M)-led Left Front, have an alliance outside Kerala as part of the anti-BJP INDIA bloc. Despite this partnership, their contest in Kerala remains intense. The BJP has made significant efforts to woo the Christian community by leveraging anti-Muslim sentiments and the ‘love jihad’ narrative. Moreover, the elections are held amidst the backdrop of widespread anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in the state, with the Left Front taking a more vocal stance on the issue.
The Vadakara Lok Sabha/Parliamentary Constituency in Kerala will witness elections in April 2024, with the voting date set for April 26th. This coastal city holds historical significance as part of the Malabar district during British rule and comprises areas in the Kannur and Kozhikode districts. Prominent candidates contesting in Vadakara include Praful Krishna from the Bharatiya Janata Party, KK Shailaja from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Shafi Parambil from the Indian National Congress. In the fiercely contested 2019 General Assembly Elections, INC candidate K. Muraleedharan emerged victorious with a margin of 84,663 votes.
