Wayanad: LDF's Sathyan Mokeri, BJP's Navya Haridas file nominations

LDF candidate Sathyan Mokeri (CPI) and BJP candidate Navya Haridas (39) filed their nomination papers for Wayanad on Thursday for the November 13 bypolls. AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra filed her nomination on Wednesday after she and her brother Rahul Gandhi led a road show in Kalpetta.

The constituency bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is facing bypolls due to the resignation of Rahul Gandhi who has opted to retain Raebareli.

The LDF held a road show, led by CPI leaders Binoy Viswam and Annie Raja and accompanied Mokeri during the filing of nomination.


Mokeri (71), in fact, had contested as LDF candidate from Wayanad in 2014 and gave a tough fight to the sitting MP and UDF candidate MI Shanavas (Cong). The Congress candidate had to sweat out to retain his seat which he did by a margin of about 20,000 votes. LDF is hoping that Mokeri will turn in a good show this time too.

The past two LS polls, however, had been a cakewalk for the Congress with Rahul Gandhi taking the plunge, elevating the political profile of the seat.

Navya Haridas (39), a B Tech graduate, who has worked overseas, has filed her nomination papers, accompanied by former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan and other leaders. Haridas is a municipal councillor in Kozhikode city, 73-km from Kalpetta, and had lost the assembly polls from Kozhikode South three years ago.

The BJP had polled 13% in the April 26 Lok Sabha polls.

The Wayanad constituency has about 1.46 million voters and consists of three assembly segments of Sultan Bathery, Kalpetta and Mananthavady in Wayanad district, Nilambur, Wandoor and Ernad in Malappuram district, and Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district. Of these seats, three are held by the Congress, two by the CPI(M) and one each by the IUML and independent.