Wayanad Bypoll: BJP Fields Navya Haridas Against Priyanka Gandhi

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts:

BJP has fielded Navya Haridas for the Wayanad bypoll.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is contesting from Congress.
The election will take place on November 13.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth:

The BJP has chosen Navya Haridas as its candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election in Kerala, where she will contest against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The election is scheduled for November 13, 2024. Navya Haridas is the State General Secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha and a two-time councilor in Kozhikode Corporation. She also contested as the NDA candidate for Kozhikode South constituency in the 2021 Assembly election.

The Wayanad by-election was necessitated after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had won seats in both Wayanad and Raebareli, chose to retain Raebareli. Congress has fielded Priyanka Gandhi from Wayanad, with the expectation that she will replicate Rahul Gandhi’s strong support base in the constituency.

The Congress campaign for Priyanka Gandhi officially launched just a day before the BJP’s announcement. AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal expressed confidence, stating, “The people of Wayanad, who supported Rahul Gandhi, are sure to give Priyanka Gandhi a historic majority.”

Meanwhile, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has named senior leader Sathyan Mokeri as their candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll. This election is seen as a key political battle before the 2024 general elections and could influence Kerala’s political direction.

Alongside Navya Haridas’s nomination, BJP has also released a list of candidates for Assembly by-elections in states such as Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP has fielded Ramakant Bhargava from Budhni, a seat vacated by former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan after winning the Lok Sabha elections.

Sources suggest that Shivraj Singh Chouhan was pushing for his son Kartikey Chouhan to contest from the Budhni seat, but the party ultimately selected Ramakant Bhargava.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently announced the schedule for by-elections for 48 Assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats across 15 states. The election for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat will be held on November 13, 2024.