Priyanka Gandhi Vadra officially entered electoral politics on Wednesday as she filed her nomination papers for the Wayanad by-poll, signaling her much-anticipated debut in the political arena. Joined by her mother Sonia Gandhi, brother Rahul Gandhi, husband Robert Vadra, and son, Priyanka submitted three sets of nomination papers at the Kalpetta collectorate in Kerala.
The Wayanad seat was vacated after Rahul Gandhi, who contested from two parliamentary constituencies in the last Lok Sabha elections, decided to retain his seat in Raebareli. The by-election in Wayanad is set for November 13, where Priyanka Gandhi will face off against CPI’s Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, was present at the nomination filing, showcasing the party’s solidarity. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) demonstrated a massive show of strength through a nearly three-kilometer roadshow from Kalpetta’s main bus stand to the collectorate.
Riding in an open jeep with Rahul Gandhi, Muslim League leaders Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and P.K. Kunhalikutty, PCC president K. Sudhakaran, Mons Joseph, and Anoop Jacob, Priyanka was greeted by throngs of enthusiastic supporters who lined both sides of the road.
In a strategic decision, the UDF refrained from displaying flags during the roadshow. The absence of the Muslim League’s green flag and the Congress flag was notable, as a way to avoid the controversy sparked by the BJP’s 2019 campaign, which depicted the Muslim League’s flag as resembling the Pakistani flag.
With Wayanad voters preparing to head to the polls, all eyes are now on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as she embarks on this crucial political journey.
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