Wayanad: The Wayanad constituency is ready for a fierce triangular battle as the by-election is inching closer. The Left and NDA alliances are ready to present their formidable opponents as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrives to contest her first-ever election from Wayanad.
The main fight in Wayanad is against the main partners of the INDIA alliance. CPI, the main opponent of Priyanka Gandhi, took the Wayanad fight as a prestigious one and put up a strong political fighter, Sathyan Mokeri, as the candidate.
- Who is Sathyan Mokeri?
Sathyan Mokeri was once referred to as the "roaring lion" of the Kerala Legislative Assembly. He and CPI's Kodiyeri Balakrishnan were two strong voices of the Left Front in the Kerala assembly.
Mokeri expressed confidence in defeating Priyanka, stating, "Even Indira Gandhi faced defeat. What chance does Priyanka have?"
Transitioning from media to politics, Mokeri has served as the National Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha and also a member of the CPI’s National Control Commission. He has been an assistant secretary in the CPI's state committee.
The veteran leader was born on October 2, 1953, to freedom fighters P Kelappan Nair and Kalyani Mokeri. Sathyan entered public life as the secretary of the AISF unit. Subsequently, he held positions such as the state secretary and president of AISF and the state general secretary of the Kisan Sabha.
He served as an MLA from the Nadapuram constituency from 1987 to 2001 and won the K. Shankaranarayanan Thampi Memorial Young Parliamentarian Award. He has also been a member of the Agricultural Debt Relief Commission and the Senate of Calicut University.
- Mokeri's contribution to Wayanad's issues
Sathyan Mokeri, who served as the General Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha for two decades, is a staunch advocate for farmers' rights. Wayanad witnessed numerous pressing issues, including inadequate healthcare infrastructure, ongoing human-wildlife conflicts, and significant economic impacts due to restrictions like night travel bans through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
The landslide in July that devastated Churulmalai and Mundakkai has further strained the election campaigning environment. Mokeri has been proactive in bringing Wayanad's issues to the forefront, advocating for changes in wildlife protection laws to safeguard residents from wild animals. He has actively pushed for increased compensation for victims of wildlife attacks, raising the amount to 2.5 million.
- Who is Navya Haridas
A leader of the Mahila Morcha and a two-time councillor of the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation, Navya Haridas's candidacy was recently announced. However, Navya was a surprise entry into the battlefield. Names like Shobha Surendran Khushbu Sunder and BJP Kerala unit president K Surendran had been in the discussion till the last moment. But at the last moment, the BJP announced Navya as the rival candidate of Priyanka Gandhi.
Navya was the first parliamentary party leader for the BJP in the Kozhikode civic body, who repeated the victory in the last election from the same ward. In the 2021 assembly elections, she was also fielded from the Kozhikode South and marked substantial progress in BJP votes. Even though she finished third, Navya was able to significantly boost the BJP’s vote share in the Kozhikode South constituency.
Before entering politics, Navya was a software engineer by profession. Notably, BJP national leaders, including Smriti Irani, are all set to reach Wayanad to campaign for Navya Haridas.
