Priyanka Gandhi's Election Challenged in Kerala High Court by Navya Haridas; Congress Responds

BJP leader Navya Haridas moved a petition before Kerala High Court, questioning the poll victory of Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad by-election. Ms Priyanka had made wrongful disclosure in the affidavit about which it is claimed to violate Model Code of Conduct that Haridas is now referring.

Allegations Raised on Priyanka Gandhi

Priyanka was accused by Haridas of concealing critical information about her properties and cheating the voters. Her lawyer, Hari Kumar G. Nair, said that the petition is to nullify the election of Priyanka based on suppression of facts. Despite raising the issue with the Election Commission earlier, Haridas alleged that her grievances went unheard.

Congress Response

The Congress leaders dismissed the allegations as baseless. Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari expressed confidence that the court would reject the petition and impose a fine on Haridas. Congress leader Manickam Tagore stated that the BJP is targeting both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi but believes the truth is in their favor.

Background on the Wayanad Bypoll

Priyanka Gandhi won the Wayanad bypoll with over 500,000 votes as Rahul Gandhi decided to leave the seat vacant after having won from Rae Bareli in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. When she filed her nomination, Priyanka declared that she had assets of ₹12 crore and annual income of ₹46.39 lakh for FY 2023-24 from rent and investment.