Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will accompany Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during filing of her nomination for the forthcoming bye-election to Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, sources said here on Monday.
Vadra, who will make her electoral debut, will file her nomination before the Returning Officer in Kalpetta at 12 pm on 23rd October, they said, adding besides Kharge, Sonia and Rahul, Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled states, prominent national and state party leaders, will also be present on the occasion.
Prior to the nomination, Rahul and Vadra will lead a roadshow starting from Kalpetta New Bus Stand at 11 am, they said. The Wayanad parliamentary bye-election was necessitated following the resignation of Rahul as a member.
It may be mentioned that in June, the Congress chief had announced that Rahul will keep the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and vacate the Wayanad constituency. Later, he resigned as a member from the Wayanad seat. He won from both the parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha election. Notably, the Congress leaders have exuded confidence that Vadra would win from the Wayanad.
According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the polling for the Wayanand parliamentary constituency will take place on 13th November.The last date of filing nominations is 25th October. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on 28th October and the last date of withdrawal of candidature is 30th October.
The counting of votes will take place along with Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly polls on 23rd November.