Sun Oct 20 08:59:26 UTC 2024: The BJP has announced Navya Haridas, a leader from its Mahila Morcha, as its candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, where she will compete against Congress national leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and LDF candidate Sathyan Mokeri. This by-election was necessitated by Rahul Gandhi’s decision to vacate the Wayanad seat after winning in the previous elections.
– **Candidates**:
– **BJP**: Navya Haridas, a two-time Kozhikode Corporation Councillor and software engineer.
– **Congress**: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, making her electoral debut.
– **LDF**: Sathyan Mokeri.
Haridas has prior electoral experience, having contested in the 2021 Assembly elections, where she finished third with 20.89% of the vote. The bypoll is seen as a critical test for Congress, as it seeks to leverage anti-incumbency factors against the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi’s declining vote share in the last general elections.
The election is scheduled for November 13, and vote counting will occur on November 23. The results may indicate the capabilities of both parties in the upcoming 2026 Kerala Assembly polls.
First Piper 