Wayanad is not ready to accept Priyanka Gandhi, says BJP candidate Navya Haridas
Wayanad, Oct 24 : Navya Haridas, the BJP candidate from Wayanad, on Thursday, expressed confidence in winning the upcoming Lok Sabha bypoll, asserting that the people of the constituency are "not ready to accept" Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as their representative.
Navya Haridas (39), BJP parliamentary party leader and a two-time councillor in Kozhikode Corporation, also serves as the state General Secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha.
Speaking to IANS, she emphasised that this election holds significant importance for both her and the BJP.
"I am fighting to win this very important election. The BJP is giving considerable attention to this contest," Haridas said.
"This is my first time contesting for the Lok Sabha. Before this, I participated in the corporation elections and legislative Assembly elections. I feel fortunate to have been given such an opportunity," she added.
Slamming Congress for promoting dynastic politics, the BJP candidate said, "Priyanka Gandhi filed her nomination yesterday, accompanied by her family -- her mother, brother, husband, and son. This clearly shows family domination."
"The Nehru family is trying to capture a seat in Wayanad, but the people here are not ready to accept this," she added.
Notably, Priyanka Gandhi's nomination affidavit reveals liabilities totalling Rs 15.75 lakh, connected to a reassessment proceeding initiated by the Income Tax Department for the year 2012-13. This case is still pending with the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals).
Reacting to this, Haridas said, "This is why the AICC revolves around one family. The Nehru family wants every member of Parliament to avoid internal conflicts within Congress. They are trying to retain every seat in the Lok Sabha by ensuring a family member is the candidate."
She also referred to the allegations against Priyanka Gandhi's husband, Robert Vadra.
"There are numerous allegations against Robert Vadra. I don't believe everything has been disclosed in her nomination form," she claimed.
Further criticising the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Haridas said, "He was absent during the floods. He only visited Wayanad four days after the disaster. The people of Wayanad felt abandoned without a proper representative."
Haridas highlighted that warnings from the disaster management team to evacuate landslide-prone areas were ignored, and no action was taken by any representatives.
"Rahul Gandhi, as the MP for the last five years, never raised these issues in Parliament in favour of the people of Wayanad," she added.
Haridas also questioned Rahul Gandhi's decision to prioritise Rae Bareli over Wayanad in the upcoming elections.
"Wayanad has always leaned towards Congress, voting for the symbol rather than the candidate. This is why Rahul Gandhi chose Wayanad last time, believing he wouldn't win any seats in North India. But this time, he is focused on retaining Rae Bareli, leaving the people of Wayanad behind."
Commenting on the Congress alliance with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Haridas said, "This alliance won't work. In the last Lok Sabha elections, we saw internal fights and splits wherever this alliance existed. It's not a viable strategy."
Haridas accused Congress of engaging in caste- and religion-based politics, following a "divide and rule" policy. In contrast, she said, the BJP is focused on "politics of development".
"Wayanad requires significant development in health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure. Compared to other states and districts, Wayanad is lagging behind. There's a clear communication gap between the representatives and the people, and their real needs have never been addressed in Parliament," Haridas said.
She also mentioned that for any progress to be made in Wayanad, a political change is necessary. "There must be BJP for development to happen in Wayanad," she added.
The bypoll in Wayanad will be held on November 13 and the counting of votes will be done on November 23.