KALPETTA: There were 16 candidates contesting the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election this time. While Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra secured over 6 lakh votes, and LDF and NDA candidates combined to bag around 3.5 lakh of the total over 952,000 ballots polled, none of the 13 remaining candidates managed to secure over 1,500 votes. Wayanad, which hit the national headlines as a high-profile constituency, had an interesting group of candidates, including eight independents.
Hailing from Auraiya district in Uttar Pradesh, Gopal Swaroop Gandhi, who represented the Kisan Majdoor Berojgar Sangh, won over 1,200 votes. In the April general election, he had submitted his nomination papers from Amethi constituency.
“My nomination was rejected by the authorities in Amethi. Perhaps they had an issue with my surname. I decided then that I will contest the next election, wherever in the country it be. Then news of Priyanka contesting from Wayanad became a hot topic,” Gopal said.
“This is my third Lok Sabha election. I have been contesting elections to raise the real issues of farmers, workers and the unemployed people in the country. I’ve also contested assembly elections in 1993, 1997, 2017 and 2022,” he said.
“A staunch Gandhian, I took on the Mahatma’s surname out of reverence to him,” Gopal said, adding that he was enthralled by Wayanad’s natural beauty. He also thanked those who voted for him.
Another notable candidate was Bahujan Dravida Party’s A Seetha, a resident of Chennai. The BDP, which represents Tamil Sikhs, has been focusing on parliamentary politics to uplift dalits, adivasis and other oppressed communities. They fielded several candidates across Tamil Nadu in the last general election and it was the party’s Kerala leaders who decided to field Seetha from Wayanad.
Though she could win only 283 votes, Seetha stood out during campaigning with her Khalsa attire.
“I have been wearing the blue turban ever since I embraced Sikhism. I will continue our movement along with my party for the upliftment of marginalised sections of society and fight against caste discrimination,” she said.