BJP names candidates for bypolls, fields Navya Haridas from Wayanad

The BJP announced on Saturday that Navya Haridas, a two-time councillor in the Kozhikode Corporation, will be the NDA candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election.

Haridas will be pitted against Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and CPI's Sathyan Mokeri, the Left candidate, in the high-profile constituency in the 13 November by-election. As the BJP released its candidate list for the upcoming by-elections in various states, Haridas, a young woman leader in the saffron party, was named as the party's nominee for this crucial seat.

A software engineer by profession, Haridas serves as the parliamentary party leader for the BJP in the corporation. She is also the state general secretary of the Mahila Morcha, according to party sources. The by-election for Wayanad LS seat became necessary after Rahul Gandhi, who won the Lok Sabha polls from there and Rae Bareli constituency, decided to vacate it.

Meanwhile, BJP state general secretary C Krishnakumar would contest in Palakkad Assembly constituency where the saffron party is pinning its hope to win the most in the upcoming bypolls in the state. During the previous Assembly polls, the party had come to an impressive second position in Palakkad through "Metroman' E Sreedharan, who was defeated by Congress's Shafi Parambil in a tight contest.

Though the names of several high profile leaders, including senior leader Shobha Surendran was doing the rounds in the segment, the party high command chose Krishnakumar finally. Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil and expelled Congress digital media convenor P Sarin would be the Congress and the CPI (M) candidates in the constituency respectively.

In Chelakkara assembly constituency, K Balakrishnan would be the party candidate, as per the BJP candidate list. Former MLA U R Pradeep and ex-MP Ramya Haridas would be the CPI (M) and Congress candidates respectively in Chelakkara during the bypoll. Bypolls are being held for Palakkad and Chelakkara assembly constituencies as the MLAs from there -- Shafi Parambil and K Radhakrishnan respectively -- were elected to the Lok Sabha this year.

The party also named 24 candidates for assembly polls across eight states.

Former MP Sunil Soni will contest from the Raipur City South assembly in Chhattisgarh.

 

Besides the central state, the BJP named its nominees for the assembly bypolls being held in Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal.