Wayanad: AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday filed her nomination for Wayanad Loksabha by- poll.
Priyanka Gandhi filed her nomination for the by-poll before the District Collector
D R Meghasree at the Collectorate. The by-poll is scheduled to be held on November 13.
AICC Chief Malikarjun Kharge, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Sonia Gandhi, Rajya Sabha MP, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, AICC organizing Secretary K C Venugopal accompanied her during the filing of her nominations.
Later,Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State President Panakkad Shihabli Thanghal, and her husband Robert Vadra, also accompanied her to the Collectorate . She reached the Collectorate at around noon and spent around 35 minutes in finishing the procedure of filing nominations.
Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had reached Wayanad on Tuesday, while Malikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi arrived in the morning at Wayanad.
All five AICC leaders attended the around 1.5 KM long mass roadshow which lasted around three hours.
The roadshow began at around 1030 hrs from the Kalpetta new bus stand to Kalpetta before filing the nomination.
Thousands of Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) workers and people from all walks of life including women and children carrying party flags, drums, placards thronged both sides of the road to witness their beloved leaders.
Addressing a public meeting at Kalpetta before filing nomination Priyanka Gandhi said " I have campaigned for the last 35 years since 1989 for my father Rajeev Gandhi, mother Sonia Gandhi, and brother Rahul Gandhi but this is the first time "I am campaigning for myself and giving thanks to AICC Chief Malikarjuna Kharge and the congress party for the opportunity to contest an election from Wayanad constituency".
Rahul Gandhi said, "Wayanad constituency has two MPs one will be official and another will be unofficial ". He assured that Priyanka Gandhi and himself both would work together and would raise the issues of Wayanad people in Lok Sabha.
He also said " I am confident that Priyanka Gandhi will sacrifice for the needs of the Wayanad people like she is doing for the family members and her friends so far.
He said "Priyanka Gandhi considers the Wayanad people as her family members and he appealed to the people of Wayanad to look after Priyanka Gandhi and she will do the needful at Parliament for yours and I will also work for you, he said.
AICC Chief Malikarjuna Kharge said, "We came together with hope and strength for the unity of the nation. He hoped that the people of Wayanad would ensure a win with a huge margin considering that the Wayanad constituency and Congress have deep affection.
He said "I promise that Priyanka Gandhi will be a relentless champion of Wayanad people, her services were marked not only for the Wayanad but also needed for the development of the country. He also appealed to the people to trust Priyanka Gandhi.