First bypolls in Bengal since Kolkata RG Kar case; Wayanad test for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Kerala's Wayanad saw Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's electoral debut as she has been fielded as a Congress candidate to retain the seat won by Rahul Gandhi.
As the first phase of the Jharkhand assembly elections is underway, by-elections are also being held for the Wayanad parliamentary seat in Kerala and six seats in West Bengal.
Notably, these are the first elections in West Bengal since the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Medical College and Hospital that triggered nationwide outrage and criticism of the Mamata Banerjee government over the handling of the case.
In Wayanad, the bypoll marks Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's electoral debut. The Congress, having campaigned intensively in Wayanad, has expressed strong confidence in Vadra’s chances of winning. Additionally, the Chelakkara assembly seat in Kerala’s Thrissur district is also holding polls on Wednesday.
RG Kar issue adds steam to Bengal bypolls
The Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party remain locked in an electoral duel over by-elections in six seats in West Bengal, with the RG Kar rape and murder case being one of the main talking points of the election. Both the ruling TMC and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have fielded candidates for all six seats: Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST).
While five of these constituencies are TMC strongholds, BJP has expressed confidence that it will emerge victorious in majority of the seats amid criticism of the state government over the handling of the RG Kar case, where a junior doctor was raped and murder inside the medical college.
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TMC insiders say the leadership is eager to gauge the current level of support amidst growing unrest over the RG Kar incident, which has cast a shadow over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s administration.
Priyanka Gandhi's electoral debut in Wayanad
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her electoral debut in Kerala's Wayanad, a seat previously won by her brother, Rahul Gandhi. Contesting against Priyanka in the bypoll are Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Satyan Mokeri and BJP's Navya Haridas.
The campaigning for the Wayanad bypoll saw all three members of the Gandhi family - Sonia Gandhi and her two children Rahul and Priyanka - holding multiple roadshows and rallies, assuring development in the constituency.
If Priyanka Gandhi wins the Wayanad seat, she will be the third member of the Gandhi family to hold a parliamentary seat. Sonia Gandhi is currently a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, while Rahul Gandhi holds the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat.