Wayanad
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is on track to secure her first electoral victory from Wayanad in Kerala, surpassing the lead achieved by her brother Rahul Gandhi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As counting trends show, Priyanka, the Congress-led UDF’s candidate, has extended her lead by over 4 lakh votes after five hours of counting.
Congress’ ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy have predicted a record-breaking win for Priyanka, suggesting that she will outpace Rahul’s votes and win by a larger margin. Reddy expressed excitement, stating that Wayanad will see a record victory for Priyanka. IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty echoed this sentiment, believing Priyanka’s majority would exceed her brother’s.
In contrast, BJP leader Anil K. Antony argued that while Priyanka holds a strong lead, her margin would be smaller than Rahul’s in the 2024 and 2019 elections. By the latest Election Commission data, Priyanka leads with 5,78,526 votes, while her closest rival, LDF’s Sathyan Mokeri, has 1,95,551 votes.
The bypoll, held on November 13, saw a lower voter turnout of 65% compared to the previous elections, and Priyanka’s win will mark her parliamentary debut.
