Wayanad Bypoll: Congress fields Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after Rahul Gandhi vacates seat in Kerala

The Congress on Tuesday announced candidates for Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls and fielded Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Kerala’s Wayanad seat vacated by brother Rahul Gandhi.

Announcing the candidates for Kerala’s Assembly bypolls, the grand old fielded Rahul Mamkootathil from Palakkad Assembly seat, while Ramya Haridas from Chelakkara for Assembly constituency.

"The Congress President, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, has approved the proposal to nominate the following members as party candidates for the bye-elections to the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly from Kerala. LOK SABHA: Wayanad: Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY: Palakkad: Shri Rahul Mamkootathil
Chelakkara: SCMs. Ramya Haridas" the party said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission announced bypolls to the Wayanad and Nanded Lok Sabha seats as well as 48 assembly constituencies.

The election commission said the bypoll to the Wayanad parliamentary seat and 47 assembly seats will be held on November 13 along with phase one elections for the Jharkhand Assembly polls.

After her name was announced for the Wayanad bypoll, PTI quoted Priyanka Gandhi as saying, "I am not nervous at all.... I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I will say is that I will not let them feel his (Rahul Gandhi's) absence. I will work hard and try my best to make everybody happy and be a good representative."

"I have a good relationship with Rae Bareli as I worked there for 20 years and that relationship will never break," she had said, adding that both she and her brother will work together in both the constituencies.

It is important to note that the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat was vacated by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi after he was also elected to Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh in the general elections held earlier this year. Rahul Gandhi opted to keep the Rae Bareli seat after Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi had represented the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat after 2019 general elections.