Wayanad/Palakkad/Thrissur (Kerala): The counting of votes for the recently held by-elections in Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency and the Palakkad and Chelakkara assembly constituencies commenced at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The process began with the counting of postal ballots.
The bypolls were conducted in Wayanad and Chelakkara on November 13, while the election in Palakkad was deferred to November 20 to avoid a clash with the Kalpathi Radhotsavam festival.
In Wayanad, 16 candidates contested, with the spotlight on Congress-led UDF’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, making her electoral debut, CPM-led LDF’s veteran leader Sathyan Mokeri, and BJP-led NDA’s Navya Haridas. Priyanka aims to retain the seat vacated by her brother, Rahul Gandhi, who decided to focus on his Rae Bareli constituency after winning both in the general elections earlier this year. Rahul’s resignation, after his 2019 victory in Wayanad, prompted the bypoll.
In Palakkad, 10 candidates vied for the seat. The prominent contestants are UDF’s Rahul Mamkootathil, BJP’s C Krishnakumar, and LDF’s P Sarin. This election followed the resignation of Congress MLA Shafi Parambil, who moved to the Lok Sabha representing Vadakara.
The Chelakkara by-election featured six candidates, with LDF’s U R Pradeep, UDF’s ex-MP Ramya Haridas, and BJP’s K Balakrishnan being the main contenders. The seat fell vacant when K Radhakrishnan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Alathur.
As the counting progresses, Kerala awaits the outcome of these key electoral battles.
