 |
|
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced that Navya Haridas will be their candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-poll, where she will face off against Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The by-election was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi, who previously held the seat, vacated it upon winning the Raebareli Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Navya Haridas, a 36-year-old mechanical engineer, holds a B-Tech degree from KMCT Engineering College, Calicut University, and graduated in 2007. She is a prominent figure in the BJP, serving as a two-time councilor in the Kozhikode Corporation and as the Mahila Morcha State General Secretary. On her Facebook page, she identifies herself as the BJP Parliamentary Party Leader and BJMM State General Secretary.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has confirmed that Navya Haridas has no criminal cases against her. According to ADR, her assets are valued at ₹1,29,56,264, and she has a total liability of ₹1,64,978. In contrast, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was chosen by the Congress to contest the Wayanad seat, is making her electoral debut. Following Rahul Gandhi's resignation, the Congress, under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge, is aggressively campaigning to improve upon Rahul's previous victory margin in the constituency.
The Communist Party of India (CPI), a member of the opposition INDIA bloc, has fielded Sathyan Mokeri against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has scheduled the by-election for November 13, with the results expected on November 23. Meanwhile, C Krishnakumar, BJP state general secretary, will be contesting the Palakkad Assembly constituency, where the BJP hopes to achieve a significant victory in the upcoming by-polls in Kerala. This by-election in Wayanad holds significant political implications, as it pits the BJP against the Congress, two of the most prominent parties in India, while also providing a platform for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to establish herself as a prominent figure in Indian politics.
Source: Who is Navya Haridas, Priyanka Gandhi's BJP challenger in Wayanad bypoll?