Later today, the Maha Vikas Aghadi is set to unveil its Maharashtra seat-sharing agreement, while Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to engage in a one-on-one meeting with Xi Jinping in Kazan.
The Nehru-Gandhi family is embarking on a new chapter in their rich history as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra officially enters the political fray by filing her nomination for the Lok Sabha by-election from Wayanad, Kerala, on Wednesday.
Should Priyanka emerge victorious, she will become the third family member to secure a seat in Parliament, joining her mother Sonia Gandhi, an MP in the Rajya Sabha representing Rajasthan and serving as the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, and her brother Rahul Gandhi, who holds the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and represents Rae Bareli.
Exploring the rationale behind the Congress’s decision: Will the presence of three Gandhis in Parliament potentially fortify the BJP’s criticism regarding “dynasty politics” and the party being controlled by the “Shahi Parivar”?
It appears so. When Priyanka was selected by the Congress in June, shortly after the Lok Sabha election results significantly favored the party, there was a belief within the Congress that the BJP would persist in criticizing them as long as the family remained at the core, regardless of how many family members were elected to Parliament. At that time, certain Congress leaders speculated that Priyanka might not have chosen to run for office if the BJP had secured a mandate with over 300 seats. However, given the BJP’s perceived weakness following the parliamentary elections, her decision seemed strategic.
Since that time, there have been significant political changes, particularly following the Congress’s unexpected defeat in Haryana, a state where victory was anticipated. The fate of the opposition party on November 23 will be greatly influenced by its ability to overthrow the BJP and its coalition partners in Maharashtra. Moreover, the likelihood of intense confrontations in Parliament between the Narendra Modi administration and the sibling pair, with Priyanka poised to emerge victorious in Wayanad, is high once the Winter Session commences.
Before anything else, Priyanka must secure victory in Wayanad, and as we all know, nothing is guaranteed in the realm of politics. The Congress general secretary is up against seasoned Left leader Sathyan Mokeri from the CPI and Kozhikode municipal councilor Navya Haridas from the BJP. The Congress needs to address the organizational deficiencies that led to a decrease in her brother’s voting percentage from an exceptionally high 64.64% to a still impressive 59.69%. Rahul Gandhi witnessed a significant decline in votes in the Kalpetta, Mananthavady, and Sulthan Bathery Assembly segments, necessitating focused efforts from the party in these areas.
Arriving in Wayanad on Tuesday evening, Priyanka, together with her mother and brother, is scheduled to initiate a roadshow from the Kalpetta new bus stand at 11 am. The submission of nomination papers to the district collector is anticipated before noon. In addition to the Gandhis, the Chief Ministers of other Congress-governed states and several senior party members are anticipated to be present in Wayanad.
An agreement has been reached as Priyanka submits her nomination papers. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, representing the opposition, is poised to unveil its distribution of seats for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections during a press briefing in Mumbai later today. This development follows an extensive meeting that took place throughout the day on Tuesday.
Alok Deshpande and Vallabh Ozarkar have been informed by sources that the Congress is anticipated to vie for 105-110 seats, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) is expected to contest 85-90 constituencies and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is likely to compete for 75-80 seats. The initial list of Congress candidates is scheduled to be released on Friday (October 25) by Ramesh Chennithala, the AICC Maharashtra in-charge.
PTI reported that Eknath Shinde, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, recently returned to Guwahati after a gap of over two years to seek blessings at the renowned Kamakhya temple. Shinde, along with his entourage, stayed in Guwahati and made a visit to the temple amidst the turmoil within the Shiv Sena in June 2022. It was five months post the rebellion that Shinde revisited the sacred site.
Shinde’s Shiv Sena revealed its initial candidate lineup on Tuesday night, while the Mahayuti alliance is yet to disclose the allocation of the 288 constituencies among its three members. Reportedly, Shiv Sena supporters oppose the BJP contenders in Kalyan East, Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Murbad constituencies.
