Rahul Gandhi Takes Early Lead In Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency

The counting of votes for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala began at 8 am on Tuesday, and early trends indicate a significant lead for Congress leader and sitting MP Rahul Gandhi. As of the latest updates, Gandhi is ahead by over 52,000 votes against his closest rival, Annie Raja of the Communist Party of India (CPI).

The Election Commission of India is set to announce the final results for all 543 Parliamentary constituencies that went to polls from 19 April to 1 June, later during the day. Wayanad, one of the most closely watched constituencies in the country, is witnessing a keenly contested battle among key candidates. Voting in Wayanad took place on 26 April during the second phase of the elections, and the constituency recorded a voter turnout of 73.57 per cent.

Rahul Gandhi, who aims to retain his seat in Wayanad, is up against K Surendran of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Annie Raja of the CPI. The Wayanad constituency, one of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, has been a stronghold for the Congress party, which is seeking its third consecutive victory in the region.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi secured the seat with more than 7 lakh votes, defeating CPI candidate PP Suneer, who garnered 2.7 lakh votes. Prior to that, in the 2014 general elections, MI Shanavas of the Congress won the seat by a margin of 3,77,035 votes against Sathyan Mokeri of the CPI, who received 20,870 votes fewer than Shanavas.

As counting progresses, all eyes remain on Wayanad to see if Rahul Gandhi will maintain his lead and secure another term, reinforcing the Congress's dominance in the constituency. The final results for Wayanad, along with other constituencies, are expected to be announced by the Election Commission of India later today.