Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her electoral debut from Wayanad. (File)
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has won her debut by-election from Wayanad with a bigger margin than her brother Rahul Gandhi. She fills the vacancy left by Mr Gandhi when he had moved to Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. Her final score stood at over 6 lakh votes when the counting ended this evening, over 4 lakh more than her nearest rival and CPI veteran Sathyan Mokeri's tally of about 2 lakh votes. Rahul Gandhi had won the seat by a margin of over 3.65 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, down from the 4.3 lakh margin he had secured in 2019.
Ms Gandhi thanked the voters in a long post on X, saying that she was overwhelmed by the trust people have posed in her. "I will make sure that over time, you truly feel this victory has been your victory and the person you chose to represent you understands your hopes and dreams and fights for you as one of your own. I look forward to being your voice in Parliament," she said.
She also praised the contribution of her party colleagues, and her family members, including mother Sonia Gandhi, brother Rahul Gandhi, husband Robert Vadra and their two children.
Rahul Gandhi was elected from this seat for the first time in 2019, which allowed him to remain a Lok Sabha member despite losing in Amethi. In 2024, he contested from both Wayanad and Rae Bareli, left vacant by his mother Sonia Gandhi after she moved to Rajya Sabha. Having won both the seats, he decided to keep Rae Bareli and let his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contest from Wayanad.
Read: Amid Congress's Maharashtra Misery, Jharkhand Slide, Wayanad Is Saving Grace
Rahul Gandhi and his mother and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had been actively campaigning for Priyanka Gandhi over the past month, having set a target of over 5 lakh victory margin.
Trying to gather maximum public support, Mr Gandhi challenged his sister to make Wayanad the best tourist destination. "When people think of Kerala, the first destination should be Wayanad. This will benefit the people of Wayanad and its economy, and the world will get to know its beauty," he had said.
Campaigning for his sister, Mr Gandhi has also suggested that he will always be available for the people of Wayanad. The constituency will have two MPs, one of them "unofficial", he had said.
Results have also been declared for the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, and by-elections to 48 assembly seats and two parliamentary constituencies across 15 states. (Click here for election results in Maharashtra and Jharkhand)