Who is Navya Haridas, Priyanka Gandhi's opponent in Wayanad bypoll?

The BJP has announced Navya Haridas, a Kozhikode-based leader and two-time corporation councillor, as its candidate to contest against AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who is making her electoral debut, from Wayanad in the upcoming bypoll.

The by-election was necessitated after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi decided to retain Rae Bareli constituency and vacate Wayanad seat after winning the general elections from both the segments in June this year. The polling in Wayanad is scheduled to take place on November 13, while the result will be out on November 23.

Also Read: Wayanad LS bypoll: BJP fields Navya Haridas against Priyanka Gandhi

High-stakes face-off?

The BJP’s move has generated significant media attention, with several outlets projecting the electoral contest as a high-stakes face-off between two women — Priyanka Gandhi and Navya Haridas. However, this narrative oversimplifies the ground reality.

While Priyanka is undoubtedly the Congress’ star candidate, her main rival in Wayanad will be CPI’s senior trade unionist Sathyan Mokeri, a three-time MLA known for his grassroots connection and political experience.

Navya Haridas’ entry follows BJP’s decision in the 2024 general elections to field K Surendran, BJP’s state president, against Rahul Gandhi. That contest aimed to elevate BJP’s visibility in the state, but Surendran managed to secure only 13% of the vote, significantly trailing behind Rahul Gandhi’s 59.69% and CPI candidate Annie Raja’s 26.09%. Surendran’s result, though yielding the party’s highest vote share in Wayanad, was still disappointing, as he lost his deposit.

Known figure in Kozhikode

Navya Haridas, a 40-year-old mechanical engineer, is a known figure in the political circles of Kozhikode, Kerala. She graduated with a BTech degree from KMCT Engineering College, affiliated with Calicut University, in 2007. Haridas has served as a councillor in the Kozhikode Corporation for two consecutive terms and currently holds the position of state general secretary in the BJP Mahila Morcha.

In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, she contested from the Kozhikode South assembly constituency. Though she finished third with 20.89% of the votes, this was noted as the best performance for the BJP in that constituency.

Also Read: Kerala bypolls: With Priyanka effect, Congress eyes big win in Wayanad, 2 other seats

Shift in BJP strategy

BJP’s choice of Haridas, a relatively low-profile candidate compared to Surendran, signals a shift from its previous high-stakes strategy. Though, Haridas’ nomination could be propagated as part of BJP’s “broader strategy to project young, dynamic leaders and tap into the growing importance of women’s leadership in politics”, the fact is that they are not intending to invest much in this bypoll in Wayanad, according to party sources.

In a state where BJP has struggled to gain traction, Haridas’ presence in the fray adds symbolic value rather than electoral heft. However, her candidacy reflects the party’s ambition to continue building visibility and relevance across all constituencies, including tough battlegrounds like Wayanad.