As the Election Commission announced the dates for by-elections to two Kerala Assembly seats and the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday, the Congress swiftly named its candidates for the upcoming polls. Rahul Mamkootathil, the Youth Congress President, has been fielded for the Palakkad Assembly constituency, while former MP Ramya Haridas is set to contest from the Chelakkara-SC Assembly seat.
The party had already confirmed that Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would contest from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, where the bypoll is expected to be a high-stakes race. The elections for all three seats will take place on November 13 with the vote counting scheduled for November 23.
Rahul Mamkootathil From Palakkad
Mamkootathil, who hails from Pathanamthitta district, is making his electoral debut in the Palakkad Assembly constituency, according to a report on IANS. His candidacy was met with celebration in his hometown, with his family expressing excitement over the announcement. His mother shared that she would be heading to Palakkad to support her son's campaign efforts.
Mamkootathil is expected to arrive in Palakkad on Wednesday afternoon to kick off his campaign.
Ramya Haridas Set For Chelakkara
Ramya Haridas, a former MP who represented the Alathur Lok Sabha seat from 2019 to 2024, has been selected to contest from Chelakkara, a reserved SC constituency. Despite losing her Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections to State Devasoms and SC/ST Welfare Minister K. Radhakrishnan, Haridas is expected to benefit from her familiarity with the Chelakkara Assembly segment, which falls under the Alathur constituency, as per the report.
The by-elections for the Palakkad and Chelakkara seats were triggered after the sitting MLAs—Shafi Parambil (Congress) and K. Radhakrishnan (CPI-M), respectively—vacated their positions following their victories in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
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