'Campaigning for myself is a first,' Priyanka Gandhi files nomination for Wayanad bypoll after grand roadshow

Wayanad: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi marked her electoral debut on Wednesday as the UDF candidate for the upcoming Wayanad bypoll with a grand roadshow. The 1.5-kilometer procession, which began from the New Bus Stand in Kalpetta, saw the participation of prominent Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Key party figures from across the country, office bearers of various feeder organisations, and Members of Parliament also took part in the event.

Following the roadshow, Priyanka, accompanied by Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi, her brother Rahul Gandhi, her husband Robert Vadra, and their children, Raihan and Miraya, filed her nomination papers, officially entering the electoral race.

During the roadshow, the crowd greeted the Gandhi family with cheers and banners proclaiming "Wayanad's Beloved Priyanka." Party workers showered flowers as Priyanka addressed the enthusiastic gathering.

“I have campaigned for 35 years for my father, Rajiv Gandhi, mother Sonia Gandhi, and brother Rahul Gandhi. This is the first time I am campaigning for myself. I thank Kharge and the Congress for this opportunity. When I visited Chooralmala and Mundakayam, I met those who had lost everything. Their courage deeply moved me. Being part of the Wayanad family is both an honour and a blessing. However, those in power today are using it to spread hatred,” Priyanka said during her speech.

Priyanka and her team arrived in Sultan Bathery around 9:30 pm on Tuesday after travelling by road from Mysuru, where they had flown earlier in the evening. The convoy passed through the Bandipur forests and crossed into Kerala at Muthanga.

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