Priyanka Gandhi's electoral debut from Wayanad may dash BJP's hopes in Palakkad bypoll

Thiruvananthapuram: As Palakkad is set to a witness high-stakes battle with the BJP pinning hopes of making an entry to the Kerala assembly, the candidature of Congress national leader Priyanka Gandhi for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll could also turn adverse for the saffron party.

Wayanad on Wednesday witnessed huge participation of jubilant Congress workers from across the state at the road show of the Nehru-Gandhi scion. In her maiden speech, Priyanka strongly attacked the BJP.

Political analysts point out that the wave triggered by Priyanka's electoral debut from a constituency in Kerala could have its positive effect for the Congress in the other seats, as was witnessed during Rahul Gandhi's electoral fray from Wayanad in 2019 and in 2024.

BJP, which came second at Palakkad in the last two assembly elections, is pinning its hopes on the party candidate C Krishnakumar to make it to the Kerala assembly this time by defeating Congress' Rahul Mamkootathil. CPI(M)'s decision to field Congress dissident Dr P Sarin also brightened BJP's hopes.

Political analyst C A Josukutty said that when a charismatic Congress leader like Priyanka is in the fray in Kerala, the Congress candidates in assembly bypolls at Palakkad and Chelakkara might also get its benefit. "For the Congress workers, the Nehru-Gandhi family still continues to be the biggest vote catcher," he added.

BJP's Shobha Surendran had lost to Congress' Shafi Parambil in 2016 assembly polls by 17,483 votes, whereas BJP candidate 'Metro man' E Sreedharan lost by just 3859 votes in 2021.

Congress camps point out that it was Sreedharan's profile that had favoured the BJP in 2021 as BJP candidate Krishnakumar could not make much impact in the last Lok Sabha polls at Palakkad.

Congress is also hopeful that in an assembly election in Kerala the anti-incumbency against the ruling CPI(M) government could also be a factor favouring the Congress-led United Democratic Front, rather than the BJP which does not have a single MLA in the state.