Kolkata: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and AAP Supremo and former Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal are staring at political uncertainties right now. The Congress, despite its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections which delighted the party and surprised many, has faced some setbacks since then. On the other hand, AAP has been voted out of power in Delhi and is now clutching at Punjab.
While Priyanka is still trying to become the leader that everyone has always wished her to be, Kejriwal is trying to regain lost ground after the huge setback in the national capital. Amid such a scenario, the results of byelections for two seats in Punjab and Kerala have become significant for them. Notably, Priyanka has reportedly worked hard to win the Nilambur seat in Kerala by personally leading the campaigns.
Wayanad in Kerala is the Parliamentary constituency of Priyanka, and Nilambur falls under that. Hence, she has toiled effortlessly to ensure Congress’ victory in this by-election. With the Kerala Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year, the Nilambur byelection result can provide her party a massive boost. The resignation of PV Anwar of the ruling Left alliance triggered the election, and he contested again with a TMC ticket. In the previous election, the Left clinched victory in this seat, but the political landscape of the state has changed significantly since 2021.
In these years, the BJP has significantly expanded its footprint in Kerala. Priyanka, the MP from Wayanad, succeeding her brother Rahul Gandhi, faced a tough challenge with the BJP posing a considerable threat. With TMC throwing its hat in the ring, the Nilambur contest became even more intriguing. But the main battle was always going to be between the Left and the Congress, and if the latter ends up losing once the result is declared on Monday, Priyanka will be severely criticized. It will dent Congress’s morale, as the party has experienced failure in the last two Kerala elections and is desperately searching for a victory. The same goes for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Left, at a seat known as their stronghold.
Arvind Kejriwal’s political future
Meanwhile, in the Ludhiana West seat byelection, Arvind Kejriwal’s political future is at stake. Following AAP’s humungous defeat in the Delhi elections, it made Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora its candidate for this seat. If he wins, he will get a ministerial post in the Punjab government. The strategy of AAP is simple: Kejriwal will contest the Rajya Sabha seat that Arora has vacated, as it will allow the party supremo to once again re-enter from the Upper House of the Parliament.
A noted industrialist, Arora will receive a ministerial post if he wins from the Ludhiana seat. And since Kejriwal’s future is at stake here, the AAP has gone all-out to ensure victory. However, victory won’t come easily as AAP is facing stiff challenges from Congress, BJP, and Akali Dal.
Normally, the ruling parties cannot clinch victory in byelections. If AAP loses, then it will put the political future of Kejriwal in doubt. Also, as per reports, the BJP has vigorously campaigned for this particular election. Even if it loses, it can become the state’s second-largest party. It has deployed several senior leaders for campaigning and a strong performance will boost the morale of the party. Now all eyes are on the counting of votes on June 23, with the political fate of Kejriwal hanging by a thread.
