Wayanad Lok Sabha Bypolls: Will BJP Field Smriti Irani Against Priyanka Gandhi?

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi contested from both Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, securing victories in both constituencies. Now, Rahul Gandhi has decided to vacate the Wayanad seat and will continue as the MP from Rae Bareli constituency. Congress has announced that Priyanka Gandhi will contest the by-election from Wayanad, marking another entry of the Gandhi family into the southern political arena. The Gandhi family has a longstanding connection with the South. 

In 1978, Indira Gandhi won a by-election from Chikmagalur in Karnataka, followed by a victory from Medak constituency in Andhra Pradesh in 1980. Similarly, Sonia Gandhi began her political career in the South by contesting and winning from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and Bellary in Karnataka in 1999, although she later relinquished the Bellary seat.

With Priyanka Gandhi's decision to contest from Wayanad, speculation is rife in political circles and on social media about the BJP's potential candidate for this seat. There are discussions suggesting that BJP leader Smriti Irani may be nominated from Wayanad. Notably, Smriti Irani lost to KL Sharma in the recent Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, although she had previously defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019 in what was considered a Congress stronghold.

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Historically, the BJP has made surprising decisions regarding nomination tickets. For instance, in response to Congress fielding Sonia Gandhi from Bellary in 1999, the BJP countered with Sushma Swaraj as its candidate, leading to a closely contested election. Although Sushma Swaraj was defeated, she garnered significant support, receiving over 350,000 votes compared to Sonia Gandhi's 414,000 votes, marking a close electoral battle.