Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has secured victory in Kerala's Wayanad constituency securing over 6.22 lakh votes in her first electoral contest.
She defeated Communist Party of India's Sathyan Mokeri, who bagged over 2.11 lakh votes, while BJP's Navya Haridas managed 1.09 lakh votes.
Priyanka secured a victory margin of 4.1 lakh votes, surpassing the record set by her brother Rahul Gandhi in the 2024 elections, where he won by 3.65 lakh votes.
This feat comes despite a notable decline in voter turnout.
The Wayanad bypoll recorded a turnout of approximately 65%, a drop from 74% in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year and significantly lower than the 80% turnout in the 2019 general elections.
Vote counting began at 8 am following bypolls held over the past weeks for 48 assembly seats across 14 states and two Lok Sabha constituencies—Wayanad in Kerala and Nanded in Maharashtra.
Priyanka’s candidacy marked her electoral debut, contesting the seat previously held by Rahul Gandhi. The bypoll in Wayanad was necessitated after Rahul, having won from both Wayanad and Rae Bareli, chose to retain the latter.
Rahul Gandhi actively campaigned for his sister Priyanka Gandhi. In one of the election rallies, he said, “If she likes you, she will do whatever; beyond anything you can imagine. She is also going to like Wayanad a lot. You see, a huge part of being a good MP is that you like the people and place you work for. She is going to like it.”
