Kerala’s Wayanad was the one vibrant spot for the Congress as we speak because the Grand Old Party posted certainly one of its worst performances in Maharashtra. In the Lok Sabha by-polls in Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra not solely stuffed her brother Rahul Gandhi’s footwear, she did it in spades, surpassing his 2024 document vote margin by midday.
Where Rahul Gandhi had a margin of three.65 lakh votes within the Lok Sabha election held earlier this 12 months, Ms Gandhi Vadra secured over 6.12 lakh votes, beating her nearest rival, CPM’s Sathyan Mokeri by over 4.1 lakh votes. But her total votes had been decrease than that of Mr Gandhi as a result of low turnout.
The turnout within the seat, which has over 14 lakh registered voters, was round 65 per cent – down from the near 74 per cent within the Lok Sabha polls held in April and far decrease than the 80 per cent-plus turnout of 2019, when Mr Gandhi had made it the second seat he was contesting from.
After successful from Rae Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh as properly, Mr Gandhi had vacated the Wayanad seat. The celebration nominated his sister, paving the best way for her electoral debut within the Lok Sabha. During the announcement, Mr Gandhi had assured her work and stated the constituency would now have two folks to take care of it — he and his sister.
Buoyed by the victory, Ms Gandhi Vadra stated she was “overwhelmed with gratitude for the belief” the folks of Wayanad had positioned in her.
“I’ll make it possible for over time, you actually really feel this victory has been your victory and the individual you selected to characterize you understands your hopes and goals and fights for you as certainly one of your individual,” the Congress common secretary stated in a publish on X, previously Twitter.
My dearest sisters and brothers of Wayanad,
I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the belief you’ve got positioned in me. I’ll make it possible for over time, you actually really feel this victory has been your victory and the individual you selected to characterize you understands your hopes and goals and…— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) November 23, 2024
But the Congress efficiency within the different two states – Maharashtra particularly – has come as a shock to the celebration, which hoped to construct on its Lok Sabha efficiency.
In Maharashtra, the place the BJP is headed for a sweeping victory, a bit of its seats has come at the price of the Congress, which is 29 seats down from its 2019 rating of 44. The celebration is presently main in 15 seats out of the 101 seats it contested — a rating barely over its Lok Sabha tally.
In the Lok Sabha polls held barely six months in the past, the Congress had received 13 of Maharashtra’s 48 Lok Sabha seats on which rested its hopes of an enormous win and the Chief Minister publish. Its key leaders within the state had refused to call Uddhav Thackeray because the candidate, saying the celebration that will get essentially the most seats would get the publish.
The Congress stated it was tough to digest the result in Maharashtra.
“We are completely stunned… The state President Nana F. Patole misplaced, 8-time winner Vijay Balasaheb Thorat was vanquished, veteran ex-chief minister Prithviraj Chavan was defeated… The Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar survived by a hair’s breadth,” stated AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala, asking if the Ladki Behen scheme ended farmers’ troubles, value rise, unemployment and corruption.
The efficiency of Mr Thackeray’s Sena is marginally higher than the Congress – the Shiv Sena UBT is main on 20 of the 95 seats it contested, 5 greater than 2019.
Sharad Pawar’s faction of the NCP has posted certainly one of its worst performances, being forward solely in 12 of the 86 seats it contested, one lower than 2019.