Priyanka Gandhi to file nomination for Wayanad bypolls today, mark political debut

Priyanka Gandhi has been pitted against the BJP's Navya Haridas and senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Sathyan Mokeri in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bye-election slated to take place on November 13.

In Short

• Priyanka Gandhi to hold roadshow in Wayanad today before filing nomination
• She will take on BJP's Navya Haridas, Left candidate Sathyan Mokeri
• Wayanad bypolls on November 13, vote counting on November 23

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is set to file her nomination papers for the November 13 Wayanad Lok Sabha bypolls on Wednesday, marking her political debut.

The Wayanad bypolls were necessitated after her brother and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, vacated the seat after winning Raebareli, the Congress bastion in Uttar Pradesh, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Before filing her nomination papers, Priyanka Gandhi will participate in a roadshow, which will begin at 11 am in Kalpetta city's New Bus Stand. She will be accompanied by Rahul Gandhi, Chief Ministers of other Congress-ruled states and a number of other party leaders.

She is also slated to address a public event.

Priyanka Gandhi along with her mother and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, travelled to Wayanad by road on Tuesday after landing at the Mysuru airport where they were greeted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Priyanka has been pitted against Navya Haridas, State General Secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha, and senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Sathyan Mokeri, who has been fielded as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate.

Earlier on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said that his sister would be the best person to represent his former constituency.

"The people of Wayanad hold a special place in my heart, and I can't imagine a better representative for them than my sister, Priyanka Gandhi. I'm confident she will be a passionate champion of Wayanad's needs and a powerful voice in Parliament," he said.

Rahul Gandhi represented the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency from 2019 and 2024, when he contested from the seat for the first time and won, but lost the Amethi Parliamentary seat, a Congress family bastion, in Uttar Pradesh.

Last week, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala officially launched its campaign for Priyanka Gandhi ahead of the bye-elections.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Saturday inaugurated the leadership convention that kicked off election activities for Priyanka Gandhi and said the people of Wayanad, who supported Rahul Gandhi, are sure to give the latter's sister a historic majority.

Local Congress leaders are also expected to conduct door-to-door campaigning on October 26 and 27.

Counting of votes for the Wayanad Assembly bypolls will take place on November 23.