Priyanka and Sonia Gandhi reach Wayanad, interact with locals

Enroute to Wayanad from Mysore, where she and her mother, Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, landed, she was greeted warmly by locals and also visited the home of an ex-serviceman, a party statement said.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached Sulthan Bathery here on Tuesday evening, a day before marking her electoral debut by filing her nomination in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll.

However, the mother-daughter duo made took a small detour to visit a local family.

Septuagenarian Thressia and her family members were shocked when Priyanka Gandhi walked into their house at Sultan Bathery in Wayanad late on Tuesday evening seeking votes.

As she interacted with some locals who were awaiting to greet her near the resort she is staying, one of them told her that his mother has much admiration for her but owing to her ailments she wasn't able to come. Hearing this, Priyanka swiftly asked where his house was located.

"I was shell shocked when my grandchildren came and told me that Priyanka is coming to my house. She sat here and interacted with all of us. Once I presented a rosary to her, she said that she already got one from Mother Teresa's place and she was still keeping it. She said she will keep the one I gifted too," Thressia told TV channels.

Thressia said that hers is a traditional Congress supporting family and they were certain of Priyanka's victory with a huge margin. "The other parties should not have even fielded candidates when Priyanka is contesting," she said.