Wayanad: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is on track for a decisive victory in her debut electoral contest for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, with current trends indicating a significant lead. The Congress has expressed confidence that Priyanka will surpass the vote count and margin achieved by her brother, Rahul Gandhi, in the constituency.

As per early results, Priyanka has already secured a lead of over 2.35 lakh votes, leaving CPI's Sathyan Mokeri and BJP's Navya Haridas in distant second and third places, respectively. IUML leaders, including Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and P K Kunhalikutty, have predicted that Priyanka will break Rahul’s previous record, where he secured over 7 lakh votes and won by a margin of 4.31 lakh in the 2019 general elections.

Despite Congress' target of achieving a five-lakh margin, a reduced voter turnout of 65% in the bypoll has tempered those expectations. The turnout was notably lower than the 74% seen earlier this year and the 80% recorded in 2019.

Meanwhile, in Palakkad, Congress candidate Rahul Mamkoottathil is maintaining a slight lead over BJP’s C Krishnakumar. In Thrissur, CPM’s U R Pradeep is ahead in Chelakkara, offering some respite to the ruling LDF.

With this victory, Priyanka Gandhi is set to replace Rahul as the MP for Wayanad, marking her entry into the Lok Sabha in a contest that cements her prominence in Kerala’s political landscape.