New Delhi: The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency by-election will pit Navya Haridas of the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. This was revealed by the party over the weekend when it submitted a list of those it wants to vouch for in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly by elections.
But Navya Haridas is not a new political player when it comes to electoral field. She competed in the most recent Kerala Assembly elections in 2021 from the Kozhikode South constituency, though she came third. Born in Kozhikode Cooperation, Navya was a when councillor , and has slowly carved her niche in politics in the state.
Who is Navya Haridas? Five Key Facts:
Educational Background: Navya has a B.Tech qualification, the degree was obtained in 2007 from KMCT Engineering College which affiliated to Calicut University.
Age: She is 39 years today and her campaign promises will be embraced due to the youthful and experienced campaigner.
Previous Election Performance: In the 2021 Assembly elections, Navya polled 24,873 votes from Kozhikode South constituency where she finished third. Ahmed Devarkovil of the Indian National League won the seat from the Indian Union Muslim League’s Noorbina Rashid with a victory margin of 12,459 votes.
Clean Record: The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report revealed that Navya Haridas has no criminal charges filed against her.
Role in BJP: She is privileged to hold the position of State General Secretary of BJP’s Mahila Morcha which is an authoritative position in women’s wing of the party.
A Battle of High Stakes in Wayanad
The Wayanad by-election is likely to be one of the closely fought battles between BJP and Congress. It has been an symbolic battle for the Congress party where for the first time Priyanka Gandhi is in electoral politics seeking an assembly seat left vacant by her brother Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi was able to hold his Raebareli seat after the 2024 general elections while Wayanad is available for this by-election.
Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into the race had been speculated many times and the battle between her and Navya Haridas is going to be one of the most close junctures were both the parties are trying to say something big before the next elections.