The Election Commission has announced bypolls for two Assembly seats and the Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala. Voting will take place on November 13, with results declared on November 23. The by-elections are part of a larger two-phase process across 15 states.
Candidates and Political Reactions
The bypolls for the Palakkad and Chelakkara Assembly seats were triggered after Congress’s Shafi Parambil and CPI-M’s K. Radhakrishnan vacated their posts following their Lok Sabha victories. Wayanad fell vacant after Rahul Gandhi chose to retain his Uttar Pradesh seat. Congress has nominated Priyanka Gandhi for Wayanad, marking her electoral debut.
Leaders from Kerala’s political fronts expressed confidence in their respective victories. UDF Convenor M.M. Hassan predicted a 3-0 sweep for the Congress, with a surprise at Chelakkara. BJP’s state president K. Surendran expressed optimism for Palakkad and Wayanad, promising a strong contest.
Challenges for Left and BJP’s Confidence
The ruling CPI-M faces pressure to retain Chelakkara, a reserved constituency. The Left Democratic Front is scrambling to find a replacement for Radhakrishnan amid ongoing criticism of the Pinarayi Vijayan government. LDF convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan remains confident, citing the Left’s past electoral success despite similar challenges.
The BJP hopes to make gains, especially in Palakkad, where their candidate narrowly lost in 2021. The party expects to capitalize on its recent momentum and pose a serious challenge in all three by-elections.
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