‘5 lakh votes’: Congress plans ‘biggest win’ for Priyanka in Wayanad

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Congress has planned and is targeting the ‘biggest win’ for Priyanka Gandhi in the ensuing Wayanad bypolls in Kerala.

“We will make sure that Priyanka must win with a margin of five lakhs, which will be the biggest win and better than Rahul Gandhi’s 2019 winning margin of 4.60 lakhs,” veteran Congress leader and Kasargod MP Rajmohan Unnithan told IANS.

Unnithan, known for his firebrand speeches, said that the five lakh margin is easily achievable given the current political scenario in Kerala.

“The Pinarayi Vijayan government is struggling because of its misdeeds while the BJP has lost its face after the Wayanad landslides even after PM Modi visited the area,” said the veteran Congressman.

Rahul Gandhi vacated the Wayanad seat after he also won the Raebareli Lok Sabah in the 2024 general elections.

Sources said that Priyanka Gandhi along with her brother and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi are likely to visit Kerala on October 23. Both the Congress leaders (Rahul and Priyanka) are scheduled to make a whirlwind trip to the Wayanad constituency.

Sources said that Priyanka will also file her nomination paper on October 23.

Kasargod MP Rajmohan Unnithan said a full-fledged election meeting will chart out the entire road map for the campaign of Priyanka Gandhi.

After the Election Commission of India announced the bypolls date for Wayanad on Wednesday, people came out in large numbers to celebrate in the constituency and put up billboards and paintings of Priyanka Gandhi.

Wayanad constituency is spread across seven Assembly constituencies in three districts - Wayanad, Malappuram, and Kozhikode.

Of the seven, four are held by the Congress-led UDF, two by the CPI-M and one was won by the Left-backed independent legislator P.V. Anvar who has now split up with the ruling Left and floated his own party.

In the 2019 general elections, the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat was won by Rahul Gandhi with a margin of 4.6 lakh. However, in the 2024 general election, Rahul Gandhi only won by 3.64 lakh votes.

Meanwhile, the CPI has decided to field its veteran leader Sathyan Mokeri from Wayanad while the BJP is yet to announce their candidate.