Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is gearing up for an extensive second round of campaigning starting November 3. The Congress candidate for the November 13 Wayanad Lok Sabha seat byelection is slated to hold corner meetings in different locations within the assembly segments of Wayanad district on November 3 and 4.
In the Wayanad constituency, which comprises seven Assembly segments, the Congress-led UDF holds Kalpetta, Sulthan Bathery, Wandoor, and Eranad. P.V. Anvar, who secured a victory in Nilambur as a CPM-supported candidate who snapped ties with the ruling front, has pledged support to Priyanka Gandhi.
The CPM represents the other two segments, Mananthavady and Thiruvambady.
After finishing her campaign in the Wayanad district, Priyanka Gandhi is set to campaign in the Assembly segments of Malappuram and Kozhikode districts. In addition, she will meet with representatives from various sectors.
The specifics of her campaign itinerary for November 5, 6, and 7 will be announced later. The Wayanad Lok Sabha seat became available after Rahul Gandhi chose to keep the Rae Bareli seat.
The Congress-led UDF leadership has asserted that they will secure a victory margin exceeding 5 lakh votes for Priyanka Gandhi.
In 2019, Rahul Gandhi won the seat with a margin of 4,31,770 votes. However, in the subsequent Lok Sabha elections, his victory margin decreased by 5.25 percent when he defeated CPI national leader Annie Raja by 3,64,422 votes.
The UDF leadership is keen on electing Priyanka Gandhi to parliament with a significant majority.
Meanwhile, CPI's Sathyan Mokeri and BJP's Navya Haridas continue their campaigns throughout the constituency. The CPI is engaging in a door-to-door campaign, with squads of party workers making direct contact with voters. CPI leaders, including Kerala state secretary Binoy Viswam, have criticised the Gandhis for treating Wayanad merely as a temporary stop.
The ruling LDF's main argument is that if Sathyan Mokeri is elected, he will be available to the constituency around the clock, in contrast to Priyanka Gandhi, who would be dividing her time between Wayanad and Delhi.
As the final phase approaches, Wayanad is gearing up for an intense election campaign with the arrival of key leaders from the Congress, BJP, and the Left ahead of the November 13 poll.
