The high-octane, month-long public campaign for the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election concluded with massive roadshows organised by the three major political fronts—the Congress-led UDF, the CPI(M)-headed LDF, and the BJP-led NDA. Hundreds of party workers attended these events in the hill constituency.
The by-poll will take place on November 13.
According to PTI, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi participated in the roadshow at Thiruvambadi, in the neighbouring Kozhikode district, marking the conclusion of the election campaign for his sister and UDF candidate Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Despite the downpour, hundreds, including women, gathered in Thiruvambadi to welcome Rahul and Priyanka.
Congress, the Indian Union Muslim League, and other UDF supporters joined the roadshow, waving flags as hundreds of activists participated.
Rahul, actively campaigning for Priyanka, who is making her electoral debut in the hill constituency, vowed to make Wayanad a “world-class” tourism destination.
“I told my sister, this morning, that I wanted to take up one challenge now. In five years, Wayanad will be recognised as a tourist destination, not only in India but worldwide,” he said.
In his brief speech, Rahul shared his bond with Wayanad.
“I started politics in 2004, and I became the MP of Wayanad in 2019. For 15 years in my political career, I did not use the word ‘love.’ When I came to Wayanad, the word ‘love’ entered my political vocabulary,” he said.
I’m confident Wayanad will get its best MP in Priyanka.
Her dedication shines through—she’s already setting priorities, planning how to tackle issues, and focusing on unleashing Wayanad’s full potential.
She’ll be more than a representative; she’ll be your sister, your… pic.twitter.com/bW6TkSMfZQ
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 3, 2024
“And when I went on the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, the main idea of that yatra was to use love and affection as a political instrument,” Rahul added.
Priyanka, in her speech, said it was a great honour for her to represent the people of Wayanad in Parliament. She concluded her speech with the Malayalam phrase, “Njan Vegam Thirichu Varam” (I will soon come back).
The energy of the workers intensified, leading to a minor tussle between the police and UDF workers in Thiruvambadi. However, the police managed the situation.
Meanwhile, LDF candidate and veteran CPI leader Sathyan Mokeri, participated in a roadshow at Kalpetta.
“Despite the UDF spending heavily on the campaign, the people have stood by the LDF,” Mokeri said while campaigning in Kalpetta. “The participation of hundreds here is a testament to this.”
LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan emphasised the importance of increasing the number of Left members in Parliament to protect secularism at the national level and uphold pro-people policies.
“Instead of standing against the politics of the Sangh Parivar, the UDF is focused on undermining the Left. The outcome of the Wayanad Lok Sabha election must be seen as a rejection of this political stance,” he added in a press release issued by the LDF on Monday.
Agriculture Minister P. Prasad and other senior leaders accompanied Mokeri in the rally.
BJP candidate Navya Haridas, a techie-turned-corporation councillor, led three roadshows in the hill constituency with the final event, held at Sulthan Bathery. She joined the workers, boosting their spirits, and later boarded a crane to address the party cadres.
BJP leader P K Krishnadas and other party leaders also participated in the rally.
Rahul and Priyanka visited the Karapuzha Dam, a popular tourist spot in Wayanad, where they took selfies and interacted with locals. AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal also accompanied them.
The Wayanad by-election was necessitated after Rahul vacated the seat following his victory in Raebareli in the recent parliamentary elections.
The public campaign for the Chelakkara Assembly by-election also concluded .
Chelakkara, where both the LDF and UDF have expressed confidence about their victory, saw various prominent leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Opposition Leader in the Assembly V D Satheesan, and KPCC Chief K Sudhakaran, vigorously campaigning for their respective candidates in the last few days.
KPCC President K C Sudhakaran MP on Monday expressed confidence that “Congress would win not only in Chelakkara but also in Wayanad and Palakkad”. He was responding to the Chief Minister’s remark, calling it a “delusion” for Congress to believe they would win in Chelakkara.
Former MLA U R Pradeep is the CPI(M) candidate in the Chelakkara by-poll. Former MP Ramya Haridas of Congress and BJP’s K Balakrishnan are also in the poll fray.
The by-election in Chelakkara Assembly constituency became necessary after K Radhakrishnan was elected to the Lok Sabha this year.
The by-election in the Palakkad Assembly segment has been rescheduled to November 20 following the Kalpathi Ratholsavam festival.
Also , Bypolls will be held in 31 assembly seats spread across 10 states. Voting will be held in seven seats in Rajasthan, six in West Bengal, five in Assam, four seats in Bihar, three in Karnataka, two seats in Madhya Pradesh, and one seat each in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala and Meghalaya. Votes will be counted on November 23.
In Rajasthan, bypolls will be held in Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Deoli-Uniara, Khinvsar, Chaurasi, Salumbar and Ramgarh. In Salumbar and Ramgarh, the bye-elections were necessitated due to the demise of the sitting MLAs — Amritlal Meena (BJP) and Zubair Khan (Congress) respectively.
A total of 34 candidates are in the fray in Assam in the five seats going to bypolls – Dholai, Behali, Samaguri, Bongaigaon and Sidli.
