Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said she looks forward to being the voice of the people of Wayanad in Parliament, as she took lead in the constituency during the bypolls on Saturday. She also thanked Rahul Gandhi for "showing her the way and having her back always".
"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 fights for you as one of your own," she wrote in a post on X.
Vadra took a lead of 3 lakh votes, PTI reported. She was leading in Kerala's Wayanad by 1,08,558 votes in her debut poll contest as of 10:25 a.m. on Saturday.
She faced CPI veteran Sathyan Mokeri who was trailing behind with a total of 56,929 votes and BJP councillor Navya Haridas. She is among the 16 candidates contesting in Wayanad.
This parliamentary by-election, marks her electoral debut. The election was held to fill the seat vacated by her brother Rahul Gandhi, who opted to represent Rae Bareli, after winning both constituencies he contested in the 2024 general elections.
Rahul Gandhi first won from Wayanad in 2019, retaining his Lok Sabha membership despite his loss in Amethi. In 2024, he contested and won from both Wayanad and Rae Bareli, vacating the Wayanad seat for his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after choosing Rae Bareli.
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Rahul Gandhi and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi actively campaigned for Priyanka Gandhi over the past month, setting a target of a victory margin exceeding 5 lakh votes.
During the campaign, Rahul Gandhi urged his sister to transform Wayanad into a leading tourist destination. "When people think of Kerala, Wayanad should come to mind first. This will boost the local economy and showcase its beauty to the world," he said.
Rahul Gandhi also assured voters that he would remain connected with Wayanad, stating the constituency would effectively have two MPs, one being 'unofficial'.
Votes are being counted on Saturday, for bypolls in 48 assembly seats and two parliamentary constituencies across 15 states. Results for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections will also be announced.
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