Wayanad bypoll: Priyanka Gandhi's emotional post, 'Rahul, you are the bravest of them all, thank you'

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who made her poll debut from Wayanad, a seat that was earlier represented in the Lok Sabha by her brother, Rahul Gandhi is leading by almost 3.5 lakh votes. The counting of votes for the bypolls to 46 Assembly seats in 13 states and in the Lok Sabha segments of Nanded in Maharashtra and Wayanad in Kerala, a crucial electoral exercise since the parliamentary polls in April-May, will begin at 8 am on Saturday.

In a long social post, she thanked the people of Wayanad, "My dearest sisters and brothers of Wayanad, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the trust you have placed in me. 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!

Thank you for giving me this honour and even more for the immense love you have given me....

My colleagues in the UDF, leaders from across Kerala, workers, volunteers and my office colleagues who worked incredibly hard in this campaign, thank you for your support, for tolerating my 12 hour a day (no food, no rest) car journeys, and for fighting like true soldiers for the ideals we all believe in.

To my mother, Robert and my two jewels- Raihan and Miraya, no gratitude is ever enough for the love and courage you give me. And to my brother, Rahul, you are the bravest of them all… thank you for showing me the way and having my back, always!"

Rahul had won the hill constituency in the 2024 general elections with a victory margin of over 3.5 lakh votes and in 2019 he had achieved a margin of over 4.3 lakh votes. He had vacated the Wayanad LS seat after he also won the Rae Bareli constituency in the 2024 general election and therefore, necessitated a bypoll in the hill constituency.