 "Wayanad Lok Sabha bypolls on Nov 13; Priyanka Gandhi eyes poll debut")
The Election Commission on Tuesday announced that the by-elections for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency will be held on November 13. The bypolls from Wayanad were necessitated after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi vacated the seat for Rae Bareli, the other seat he had won during the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.
The results will be announced on November 23, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said.
The Lok Sabha elections were conducted throughout May and the results were announced on June 4. The outcome of the elections saw the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fail to achieve a majority on its own. It went on to form a government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in coalition with the Telugu Desam Party and Janata Dal (United).
On the other hand, the polls served as a major morale booster for the Opposition, especially the Congress, which was able to double the number of seats compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress-led Opposition has 234 seats, with Gandhi’s party securing 99 seats across India.
Wayanad Lok Sabha seat's significance for Congress
After Rahul vacated the Wayanad seat, the Congress announced that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would contest the bypolls there. Rahul chose the Rae Bareli seat because of the Congress's strong history in the constituency, having won all Lok Sabha elections except in 1977, 1996, and 1998. Rahul’s grandparents, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Feroz Gandhi have also represented this constituency.
In Rae Bareli, Rahul aims to continue his family's legacy. The seat was previously held by Sonia Gandhi from 2004 to 2019. In 2019, Rahul ran in both Amethi and Wayanad but only won in Kerala.
Sonia Gandhi is now a Rajya Sabha MP.
With Priyanka’s potential entry into active politics, the Gandhi family will be looking to solidify its influence in the Parliament. Additionally, with Priyanka’s presence in Wayanad, the party hopes to send a strategic message to the public, signalling the Congress's presence in both northern and southern regions.
Besides, the Wayanad by-poll, the by-elections to 47 Assembly seats will also be held on November 13, Kumar said.
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