Priyanka Gandhi's Wayanad win challenged by BJP's Navya Haridas; CPI(M) alleges role of ‘communal Muslim alliance’

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi made her Lok Sabha debut in November after securing a landslide victory from the Wayanad constituency. BJP contestant Navya Haridas however insisted on Sunday that the winning candidate had filed ‘misleading’ nomination papers and hidden several important details during the election process. The comments came mere hours after CPI(M) leader A Vijayaraghavan also stoked controversy by alleging the role of a “communal Muslim alliance” in her election victory.

“We have filed an election petition yesterday in the High Court against Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. It clearly states that the nomination papers were misleading and many important things were hidden from the nomination papers like the assets of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her family is missing in nomination papers,” the BJP leader said.

The former Lok Sabha election candidate from Wayanad said a complaint had also been submitted to the Election Commission earlier without eliciting results.

The Wayanad seat saw a three-pronged contest between the Congress, BJP and CPI. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra won the seat by a massive margin of 4,10,931 votes — defeating Communist Party of India candidate Sathyan Mokeri. Haridas had finished third in the race with a total of 1,09,939 votes.

CPI(M) politburo member A Vijayaraghavan however claimed on Saturday that a “communal Muslim alliance” had helped Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi secure successive victories in Wayanad.

“Who were in the front and back rows of the processions of Priyanka Gandhi? The worst extremist elements in the minorities were in them. They were with the Congress leadership. Without the support of the communal Muslim alliance, was it possible for Rahul Gandhi to reach Delhi?” reports quoted him as saying during an event in the area.

The Congress has issued a sharp rebuttal to both claims — with party leader Pramod Tiwari deeming the challenge posed by Haridas an act of “cheap publicity”.

"Some people have the habit of doing cheap publicity. One such person is Navya Haridas...Priyanka Gandhi Vadra won the elections with a margin of 4-5 lakhs," Tiwari told ANI on Sunday.

(With inputs from agencies)