Wayanad Bypoll: How It Has Turned Out To Be An Outsiders' Battle

Voter turnout in Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha began on a strong note, recording 20.54% and 19.08%, respectively, within the first three hours on Wednesday. The polling proceeded smoothly under tight security arrangements, though a few voting booths in Wayanad and Chelakkara reported minor disruptions due to electronic voting machine (EVM) malfunctions.

The Wayanad constituency spans across multiple assembly segments, including Mananthavady (ST), Sulthan Bathery (ST), and Kalpetta in Wayanad district, Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district, and Eranad, Nilambur, and Wandoor in Malappuram district. The by-election was necessitated when Rahul Gandhi, who had previously won the Wayanad seat, vacated it after also securing a victory in Rae Bareli in the general elections 2024.

Why It Is An Outsiders' Battle?

16 candidates are vying for the Wayanad seat, with prominent contenders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, making her electoral debut for the Congress-led UDF, CPI(M)-led LDF candidate Sathyan Mokeri, and Navya Haridas from the BJP-led NDA. However, the bypoll has number of out-of-state contestants, making it the highest on record for outside candidates in a state election.

Among the outsiders are notable figures like Independent A Noor Muhammed from Tamil Nadu, Gopal Swaroop Gandhi of the Kisan Majdoor Berojgar Sangh from Uttar Pradesh, and A Seetha of the Bahujan Dravida Party, also from Tamil Nadu. The race has also drawn Independents Ismail Zabi Ullah and Rukmini from Karnataka, Sonhu Singh Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Shaik Jaleel of the Navarang Congress Party from Andhra Pradesh, and Duggirala Nageswara Rao of the Jatiya Jana Sena Party from Telangana.

R Rajan, an independent candidate from Kalpetta, is the only contender from the Wayanad constituency itself. However, he has started working towards Priyanka Gandhi's victory. Many voters speculate that the large number of external candidates may be primarily driven by the desire to challenge Priyanka Gandhi, who is a high-profile entrant.

Kerala has a tradition of electing MPs from other states, a list that includes Rahul Gandhi, who previously represented Wayanad, and leaders like Muhammad Ismail of Tamil Nadu, G M Banatwala of Maharashtra, and Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait of Karnataka-all elected under the IUML banner.