Wayanad: Voting for the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election is underway since at 7 am on Wednesday amid tight security measures, with over 2,500 security personnel deployed and webcasting across 1,354 polling booths to ensure transparency. This bypoll marks Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ’s first electoral contest, as she aims to retain the Wayanad seat previously held by her brother, Rahul Gandhi .

Priyanka’s campaign leaned on Rahul’s legacy and his popularity in the constituency, frequently emphasizing the “love and affection” Wayanad residents had shown him. In recent public appearances, she highlighted her long-standing involvement in politics, which started in 1989 when she campaigned for her father, Rajiv Gandhi. She pledged regular visits to Wayanad if elected, “till the people tell me not to come so frequently.”

Rahul Gandhi , the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, joined Priyanka at campaign events to rally support, urging constituents to back his sister with the same enthusiasm they showed him. Rahul vacated the Wayanad seat after his 2024 re-election from Rae Bareli, which he chose to retain. This bypoll became necessary after he vacated the seat earlier this year.

Priyanka’s key opponents include Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Sathyan Mokeri and National Democratic Alliance ( NDA ) candidate Navya Haridas. Mokeri, who contested in 2014, previously reduced the UDF’s victory margin to around 20,000 votes. Both LDF and NDA campaigns questioned Priyanka’s experience and pointed to her brother’s alleged infrequent visits to Wayanad following his 2019 win, suggesting she might follow a similar path.

Priyanka responded firmly to her critics, asserting that she is a “fighter” who would advocate for the interests of Wayanad residents across political platforms. Security has been strengthened across the seven Assembly segments within the Wayanad constituency, with special arrangements in areas with a history of unrest. The Wayanad constituency comprises the Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery, and Kalpetta segments in Wayanad district, along with Thiruvambady in Kozhikode and Eranad, Nilambur, and Wandoor in Malappuram.

The bypoll results, to be declared on November 23, will reveal if Priyanka can surpass Rahul’s historic victory margin of over 3.5 lakh votes from earlier this year. As Wayanad voters decide, this election will test her ability to establish a political legacy in Kerala akin to her brother’s.