Thiruvananthapuram: All preparations are set for the crucial byelections in the Wayanad Lok Sabha and Chelakkara assembly constituencies in Kerala on November 13 (Wednesday).The polling will begin at 7 am. The administration has announced a paid public holiday in both constituencies to facilitate voting.Wayanad has garnered national attention with Priyanka Gandhi’s first electoral contest. She is pitted against CPI’s seasoned leader Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas.The Wayanad constituency has over 14 lakh registered voters and 1335 polling booths. In the previous Lok Sabha elections, the Wayanad constituency saw a voter turnout of 72.69 per cent.The Wayanad by-election garnered national attention after the Congress decided to nominate Priyanka Gandhi as the UDF candidate for the constituency. As Priyanka’s first electoral battle, the campaign became a major topic of discussion. The by-election was necessitated by Rahul Gandhi’s decision to vacate Wayanad in favor of Rae Bareli, having won both seats in the previous Lok Sabha elections.The LDF nominated the experienced CPI leader Sathyan Mokeri, who had previously lost to the Congress by over 20,000 votes in 2014. Known as a farmers’ leader, Mokeri enjoys popularity within the constituency. Meanwhile, the BJP has introduced the youthful leader Navya Haridas as their candidate.The Chelakkara assembly by-election in the Thrissur district is also witnessing a notable contest. The LDF is backing former MLA U R Pradeep, the UDF is supporting former MP Remya Haridas, and the BJP has nominated K Balakrishnan.The Chelakkara assembly constituency has nine panchayats of which six are under the LDF and three with the UDF.Chelakkara is historically a stronghold of the LDF, which has won the last six assembly elections.Election squad seizes Rs 25 lakh in Chelakkara constituencyAn election squad seized Rs 25 lakh in unaccounted cash from a car during a vehicle inspection near Cheruthuruthi in the Thrissur district. The cash was stashed in the car. The individuals travelling in the vehicle claimed that the money was meant for purchasing goods. Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine if the money was intended to influence voters.EC notice to Nilambur MLA AnvarThe Election Commission issued a notice to MLA P.V. Anvar to conduct a press conference in Chelakkara on Tuesday. All media interactions and public campaigning are restricted due to the polling scheduled for Wednesday.Palakkad bypoll on November 20The Palakkad assembly by-election, initially set to occur concurrently with those in Wayanad and Chelakkara, has been rescheduled by the Election Commission to November 20 due to the Kalpathy Ratholsavam festival. The votes will be counted on November 23, alongside the other constituencies.
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