Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday officially launched her campaign for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat by addressing a gathering at an election convention in Meenangadi, Sultan Bathery, in the presence of a host of senior state Congress leaders.

Even as she lashed out against the BJP and the Modi government, Priyanka made it a point to connect with the people of Wayanad, recovering from one of the worst natural tragedies Kerala has witnessed.

“When I first came here with my brother after the terrible landslide, I immediately saw your strength…. Your values are strongly rooted in equality, social justice and respect for all religions…. It would be my greatest honour to represent Wayanad,” Priyanka said.

The polls for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat were necessitated by her brother Rahul Gandhi’s decision to vacate the constituency, opting to retain Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

Priyanka, who drew massive crowds when she came to file her nomination last Wednesday, has proved wrong sceptics who believe the Gandhi family’s charm is on the wane in Kerala.

Hailed as the second Priyadarshini, a reference to her grandmother Indira Gandhi, Priyanka had overshadowed Rahul on that day with crowds, mostly women and children, chanting her name vociferously.

Rahul’s reduced victory margin in 2024, over a lakh less than the 2019 figure, was seen as a sign of the family’s wilting charisma among voters in Kerala with many feeling that his decision to abandon Wayanad was not taken lightly.

Priyanka is duty-bound to prove them wrong though she is scheduled to spend only two days in Wayanad this time, addressing mainly street-corner meetings in the seven Assembly segments spread over three districts that make up the constituency.

She is expected to camp in Wayanad for at least a week after Diwali.

Of the seven, Thiruvambady in Kozhikode, and Ernad, Nilambur and Wandoor in Malappuram district are the strongholds of the Indian Union Muslim League, the backbone of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala.

Here she will have the liberty to take it easy. It may not matter much even if Priyanka does not campaign extensively in these areas.

However, she will have to rough it out in Mananthavady, Sultan Bathery and Kalpetta which come under Wayanad district. One of the rival candidates, CPI’s Sathyan Mokeri, has considerable influence in these areas, especially among farm workers.

Rahul has not been seen much in the constituency — during and after the elections — ostensibly because of his national commitments.

That will not apply in Priyanka’s case. People would expect her to spend more time in the constituency before and after the polls, with most seeing her victory as a foregone conclusion.

Moreover, Wayanad has still not got over the shock of the massive landslide that wiped out two townships. The survivors are still living in temporary camps with many of them yet to get the relief promised by the state government.

Rehabilitation work is progressing at a snail’s pace. No concrete measures have been taken to take care of a dozen children who had lost their parents in the tragedy.

The Union government, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a trip to Wayanad, has not fulfilled its promises.

The voters in Wayanad want someone capable of airing their woes in Delhi.

Other than the seven Assembly segments of Wayanad, the state Congress leadership hopes Priyanka will find time to visit the two Assembly constituencies that go to polls along with Wayanad.

Of the two, the Congress is finding the going tough in Palakkad, which it holds. The party in Palakkad is plagued by factionalism, threatening its chances this time.

Many in the party hope that a visit by Priyanka may help iron out the differences.

The Congress leadership in Kerala is also banking on her to helm their efforts to improve the party’s chances in the local body elections scheduled next year, a precursor to the 2026 Assembly polls.

The presence of the Gandhi family had enabled a faction-riven state Congress to sweep the Lok Sabha polls both in 2019 and 2024, but did not help the party in the 2021 Assembly elections.