Wayanad sends Priyanka to LS; Congress retains Palakkad, CPM Chelakkara

In Wayanad, wherever Muslims signifier 41 per cent of voters and Christians 13 per cent, neither Congress nor rival parties had doubts astir Priyanka’s victory. Riding connected Priyanka’s charisma, Rahul’s rapport with Wayanad and playing to hilt her arsenic a replica of Indira Gandhi, Congress-led UDF targeted a winning borderline of 5 lakh votes. But, she could not interruption the grounds borderline of 4.31 lakh votes that Rahul had got successful 2019.

In Palakkad, which had witnessed the astir assertive campaigning marred by controversies, authorities Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkoottathil retained the spot by a borderline of 18,840 votes, dealing a dense stroke to the BJP, which had precocious expectations from the spot wherever the enactment has been runners-up since 2016. Mamkoottathil defeated BJP’s C Krishna Kumar and CPIM-backed autarkic campaigner Dr P Sarin, a Congress rebel who moved to LDF aft being denied ticket.

CPIM and Congress  had mutually traded charges of ‘understanding with BJP’ with an oculus connected the number ballot bank. When BJP person Sandeep Varier had moved to Congress successful the past thigh of campaign, CPIM had published his anti-minority remarks of yesteryears successful 2 newspapers tally by Muslim bodies successful a bid to deplete Congress votes. But Congress-led UDF gained from a number consolidation. Mamkoottathil got 42.27 per cent of polled votes arsenic against the 38 per cent of votes won by party’s 2021 campaigner Shafi Parambil.

The BJP had highlighted Waqf onshore enactment to suture unneurotic Hindu and Christian votes, but the enactment got lone 28.63 per cent of polled votes arsenic against  35.34 per cent bagged by ‘metro man’ E Sreedharan successful 2021. BJP suffered a depletion of votes successful party-ruled Palakkad municipal area. LDF-backed autarkic Sarin got 27 per cent of polled votes, which is somewhat up from 25.64 per cent of votes won by the CPIM successful 2021.

For ruling CPIM, the triumph successful Chelakkara Assembly spot is simply a large alleviation and morale booster arsenic a decision successful the spot held by the enactment since 1996 would person been attributed to anti-incumbency of the eight-year-old authorities of Pinarayi Vijayan. CPIM campaigner U R Pradeep defeated Congress campaigner Ramya Haridas, a erstwhile MP, by 12,200 votes.

The CPIM has already taken a cue from Chelakkara for the Assembly elections slated for April 2026.  CPIM authorities caput M V Govindan said the by-election result is simply a befitting reply to those who said it would beryllium a mandate against the government. “It shows that determination is nary anti-incumbency origin against the government. It shows that the LDF authorities would proceed for a 3rd word successful Kerala.In Palakkad, the UDF won with the enactment of communal forces specified arsenic SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami,’’ helium said.

Opposition person and Congress legislator V D Satheesan said, “We are blessed that CPIM believes that determination is nary anti-incumbency factor. We could bring down the CPIM borderline successful Chelakkara, whereas successful Palakkad, the Congress could summation its borderline 5 times compared to the 2021 elections,’’ helium said.