Priyanka Gandhi Vadra emerged victorious in Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election. This is her first electoral win and the results announced on Saturday saw Priyanka cross the vote margin of her brother Rahul Gandhi in the 2024 general elections. This win has widely been celebrated in Congress and among its allies as a prediction for a decisive victory that materialized.
Priyanka, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, opened a wide gap as the count of votes continued. At six hours into the counting, her margin had gone beyond 4 lakh votes, according to Election Commission reports. The lead was such that the Indian Union Muslim League, Congress ally, along with Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, declared confidence that Priyanka’s final tally will surpass Rahul Gandhi’s, ensuring a record-breaking win.
Gratitude To Wayanad Voters
In a heartfelt message following her win, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed deep gratitude to people of Wayanad for their support. “My dearest sisters and brothers of Wayanad, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the trust you have placed in me. I will make sure that over time, you truly feel this victory has been your victory,” she said. “I will fight for you as one of your own. I look forward to being your voice in Parliament.”
Priyanka also thanked her family, colleagues, and campaign supporters, acknowledging their tireless efforts during the campaign. “Thank you for your immense love and support. To my mother, Robert, and my two jewels—Raihan and Miraya, no gratitude is ever enough for the love and courage you give me, Priyanka added. Priyanka’s sincere words of appreciation even reached out to her brother Rahul, to whom she addressed as “the bravest of them all” for guidance and unwavering support.
My dearest sisters and brothers of Wayanad,
I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the trust you have placed in me. I will make sure that over time, you truly feel this victory has been your victory and the person you chose to represent you understands your hopes and dreams and…— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) November 23, 2024
Bypoll Results And Vote Margins
The latest figures of the Election Commission confirmed Priyanka’s landslide victory. She bagged 6,22,338 votes with a margin of 4,10,931 votes. Her closest rival Sathyan Mokeri of the Left Democratic Front-LDF gathered 2,11,407 votes. NDA’s Navya Haridas took away 1,09,939 votes. For reference, Rahul Gandhi had bagged 6,47,445 votes in the general election of 2024 and won with a margin of 3,64,422 votes. In the elections 2019, his win was even more decisive as 7,06,367 votes with a margin of 4,31,770 votes.
Exit Of Rahul Gandhi From Wayanad
After giving up on the Wayanad seat with the victory won in Rae Bareilly, Rahul Gandhi made way for the electoral entry of his sister Priyanka. The Wayanad bypoll saw around 65% voter turnout, which was a slight dip from the 74% registered in the 2024 general elections and significantly lower than the 80% reported in the 2019 elections. Yet, this decline will not dim the fact that Priyanka’s victory is a significant political achievement for the Congress party, particularly in such a picturesque hill constituency where over 14 lakh are on the electoral rolls.
MUST READ | Maharashtra Election Result 2024: Aaditya Thackeray Leads Over Milind Deora In Worli Election Result
