Is Wayanad a cakewalk for Priyanka, or will she face stiff competition?

When devastating landslides struck Wayanad in July, Rahul Gandhi had already vacated this Lok Sabha seat - a move his opponents called a 'betrayal'. Now, with tragedy and unresolved issues as the back

It’s a landscape like no other: The Western Ghats’ rolling green hills and misty vistas meet their prime in Kerala’s Wayanad district, often called the “Green Paradise”. But on July 30, this serene region became the site of tragedy as deadly landslides and torrential rains ravaged the area, claiming over 231 lives, with remains of 218 others later recovered. The devastating incident left over 400 injured and more than 118 still missing. 

Yet, amid the chaos, one absence was glaring: No member of parliament was there to represent the people of Wayanad as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had already vacated this Lok Sabha seat. 

As more than 1.46 million voters prepare to cast their vote in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll on November 13 — almost five months since the last election and three months since the tragic landslide — many are wondering about the significance of that vacant seat. 

Rahul Gandhi, who resigned from Wayanad on June 18 to retain his seat in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, left the door open for another Nehru-Gandhi scion: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. 

Making her electoral debut, Priyanka is already being hailed in Wayanad as India’s next “Iron Woman,” with posters depicting her as the rightful heir to her grandmother Indira Gandhi. 

In rally after rally, Priyanka has expressed gratitude for the people’s loyalty to Rahul, who in the previous Lok Sabha term was disqualified as MP following his conviction in a defamation case (he was later reinstated to the position). 

But can Priyanka tackle the longstanding issues plaguing Wayanad -- like the shortage of health-care facilities, crumbling infrastructure, and gaps in education and energy supply. 

Notably, Rahul’s landslide victory in Wayanad in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls by a margin of around 431,000 votes saw a steep drop in June to nearly 364,000 votes, after fierce competition from Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate Annie Raja and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Surendran. Now, the CPI has fielded a familiar face, Sathyan Mokeri, while the BJP’s contender is Navya Haridas, a Kozhikode municipal councillor and rising star of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha. 

For those counting the contest as a foregone conclusion in Priyanka’s favour, the Left has numbers to back up their resolve. Since the Wayanad constituency was formed in 2009, four Lok Sabha elections have seen three Congress victories, each with margins over 150,000 votes, except for a close 2014 race in which M I Shanavas of the Congress eked out a win by just 20,870 votes against Mokeri.  Notably, in the 2021 Assembly elections, the Congress took only three of Wayanad’s seven seats; its ally Indian Union Muslim League won one seat. On the other hand, two seats were won by CPI(Marxist) candidates and one by an Independent backed by the Left, who has since shifted allegiances. 

For Mokeri, the grievances are clear. “The elected representative (Rahul) betrayed those who trusted him for five years,” he told Business Standard. “There was no reason for him to contest two seats, only to abandon Wayanad. When the landslides struck, Wayanad had no MP to voice people’s concerns. The (Narendra) Modi government at the Centre provided no financial support... Rahul barely addressed any issue in Delhi, and rarely visited the constituency, save for the occasional roadshow. He was a ‘visiting MP’.” 

In Wayanad’s lush landscape, many of its inhabitants, according to some, remain forgotten. Native tribes, such as the Paniyas, Kurumas, Adiyars, Kurichyas, Ooralis, Kattunaikkans, and Uraali Kurumas, comprise 20 per cent of Wayanad’s population, and account for a third of Kerala’s tribal community. Highlighting their plight, the BJP’s Haridas said: “They still lack access to essentials — clean water, electricity, and proper roads. The Congress and the Left have turned a blind eye, leaving the region underdeveloped. People aren’t even aware of how to apply for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for housing. ‘Touring MP’ Rahul was a total failure.” 

Over 90 per cent of Wayanad’s residents rely on agriculture, with the land yielding coffee, rice, pepper, bananas, and an array of fruits and vegetables. Yet, a section of farmers claim that Rahul did little to advocate for their needs in Parliament. Mokeri further alleged: “When Karnataka blocked of people entry through Sulthan Bathery, he blamed the BJP. Now, with his own Congress in power (in Karnataka), he’s done nothing to open the route.” The issue at hand? A night traffic ban on the Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway-766, connecting Kerala and Karnataka. The controversy revolves around the closure of night traffic through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, a route that is a lifeline for the area.

If elected, Priyanka may also face pressure to resolve issues impacting local rubber planters, who are buckling under price instability. Rubber prices, which hit a high of Rs 247 per kg in August, have since plummeted to Rs 160-170 per kg due to falling demand from tire manufacturers. 

According to the Rubber Board, October saw Kerala’s rubber prices dip by 17 per cent. Milk production, another regional mainstay, is also on the decline, with Wayanad producing over 944,000 liters last year but facing a downturn. 

Mokeri posed the question: “What did our MP ever do for their conditions?” 

While Priyanka’s supporters expect a resounding win, the longstanding problems that weigh heavily on Wayanad’s people could be a major hurdle before her.