Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election: Drop in polling won't affect Priyanka Gandhi's winning margin, says Congress leader Venugopal
The Hindu
Wayanad bypoll sees 65% voter turnout, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expected to win despite decline, parties analyze reasons.
The drop in polling percentage in the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election would not affect the margin the Congress expects for its candidate Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal said on Thursday (November 14, 2024).
The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, where Priyanka made her electoral debut, saw a voter turnout of around 65% during the bypoll on Wednesday (November 13, 2024).
This was a decline from the nearly 74% turnout recorded in the April polls, when her brother and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi contested from the hill constituency.
Responding to queries on this, Mr. Venugopal said, "According to our initial assessment, the low polling percentage would not affect the margin we expect for Priyanka-ji." He said that the AICC general secretary would win with a thumping majority but noted that the party and the UDF would examine the reasons behind the drop in polling percentage.
"We are holding a meeting at the panchayat level with booth agents to study the reasons for the decline in poll percentage," Mr. Venugopal added.
The final voter turnout percentage released by the Election Commission (EC) at close to 9 pm on Wednesday (November 13, 2024) was 64.72%.
According to the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, the lower turnout is due to a lack of enthusiasm among voters in areas dominated by the CPI(M)-led LDF.
The 10th Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsob in Kolkata features renowned Bengali artists, live streaming, and diverse literary sessions.
Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary reviews arrangements for upcoming festivals at Arunachaleswarar temple, emphasizing public transport and amenities for devotees.
The Udupi Excise Department on Thursday seized 2,360.85 litres of Goa liquor worth ₹15 lakh from two houses of Avinash Malli, who is said to be a local Congress leader in Bola village, Karkala taluk.
Gandey MLA Kalpana Soren, wife of Jharkhand CM, faces BJP's Muniya Devi in State Assembly election.
Anthem of the Seas, one of the world's largest cruise ships, docks in Kochi en route to Thailand.
Tribal women from Lagacharla meet KTR, pour out their woes
Grasim Industries Ltd. reports 66% fall in Q2 net profit, driven by growth in key businesses.
Kalpathy car festival reaches grand finale with Rathasangamam, drawing thousands of devotees to witness sacred procession.
Delhi schools shift to online learning for Class 5 due to rising pollution levels, following CAQM restrictions.
Report reveals procedural lapses in COVID-19 equipment procurement, recommending criminal prosecution and recovery of excess payments.
Report lost or stolen mobile devices to Coimbatore Police via CEIR portal for easy tracking and recovery.