Wayanad: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra registered an emphatic win in his electoral debut, winning byelections in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency by a margin of over 4 lakh votes and surpassing her brother Rahul Gandhi's margin in the election earlier this year.
Priyanka polled 6,17,942 votes, winning by a massive margin of 4,08,036 votes against CPI's Sathyan Mokeri who polled 2,09,906 votes. Rahul had got 6,47,445 votes and won by a margin of 3,64,422 votes against his nearest rival, CPI's Annie Raja, in the LS polls earlier this year. In 2019, he had got 7,06,367 votes and had won by a margin of 4,31,770.
Thanking the people of Wayanad, Priyanka said she will "make sure" that they feel the victory is "their victory". In a detailed post on X, Priyanka said she was overwhelmed with gratitude "for the trust you have placed in me".
"I will make sure that over time, you truly feel this victory has been your victory and the person you chose to represent you understands your hopes and dreams and fights for you as one of your own. I look forward to being your voice in Parliament! Thank you for giving me this honour and even more for the immense love you have given me," the Congress leader said.
My dearest sisters and brothers of Wayanad,
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) November 23, 2024
I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the trust you have placed in me. I will make sure that over time, you truly feel this victory has been your victory and the person you chose to represent you understands your hopes and dreams and…
She also thanked Congress ally UDF and other leaders across the state for "fighting like true soldiers". "My colleagues in the UDF, leaders from across Kerala, workers, volunteers and my office colleagues who worked incredibly hard in this campaign, thank you for your support, for tolerating my 12 hour a day (no food, no rest) car journeys, and for fighting like true soldiers for the ideals we all believe in," she said.
The Congress leader also thanked his family, especially her brother Rahul Gandhi. "To my mother, Robert and my two jewels- Raihan and Miraya, no gratitude is ever enough for the love and courage you give me. And to my brother, Rahul, you are the bravest of them all… thank you for showing me the way and having my back, always!"
The counting of votes commenced at 8 am with postal ballots being taken up first. The strong rooms, where the EVMs were kept, were opened more than an hour before counting began. The bypoll for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat was held on November 13.
Wayanad which has been a UDF bastion had prompted the party to claim that their leader will manage a majority of over 4 lakh votes. The constituency, which Rahul Gandhi won earlier this year, was vacated by him following his success in the Rae Bareli LS seat also, necessitating a bypoll in Wayanad.
The turnout was 64.71 percent as against the 73.57 percent polling reported in April. Both fronts have claimed that the decrease in polling will not have any bearing on the prospects of their candidate but their rivals in the contest.
A total of 16 candidates, including Priyanka, CPI's Sathyan Mokeri and BJP's Navya Haridas, were in fray for the support of the over 14 lakh voters in the Wayanad. The CPI and the BJP were hoping to wrest the hill constituency from the grand old party.
