Priyanka Gandhi files nomination for Wayanad LS by-poll; declares assets worth Rs 12 crore

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday marked her electoral debut by filing her nomination for the upcoming Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, saying that she has 35 years of experience in the political arena beginning from the age of 17 years when she campaigned for her late father Rajiv Gandhi in 1989. Addressing a massive gathering at Kalpetta ahead of filing nominations for the November 13 bypoll, she said that in the 35 years since then, she has campaigned for her mother, Sonia Gandhi, her brother Rahul Gandhi and other party colleagues.

Her statement comes a day after BJP's Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll candidate Navya Haridas said she was more experienced in representing people than Priyanka. Congress Parliamentary party president Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and other senior party leaders were present on the dais during Priyanka's speech.

During her public address, Priyanka also said that she considers it an honour to be chosen to represent the people of Wayanad. She also said that she was deeply touched by the courage shown by people of Wayanad at the time of landslides that hit the district. Rahul Gandhi also spoke at the event where he said that once his sister wins, the people of Wayanad will have two MPs, including himself, to represent them in Parliament. "I will be the unofficial MP of the people of Wayanad," said Rahul, who represented the Wayanad LS constituency from 2019 to 2024. The by-election for Wayanad LS seat became necessary after Rahul Gandhi, who won the Lok Sabha polls from there and Rae Bareli constituency this year, decided to vacate Wayanad.

He urged the people of Wayanad to take care of his sister Priyanka and vote her for Parliament. Kharge, who also spoke at the event, said that Priyanka is in Wayanad not just to file her nomination, but as a relentless champion for the people of the hill district. "Bless her, and she will deliver the results," he said. After their public address, Priyanka left for the collectorate where she filed her nomination papers in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal.

Priyanka would be contesting against LDF's Sathyan Mokeri and BJP's Navya Haridas. Voting in Wayanad will be held on November 13.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who made her electoral debut by filing a nomination as a Congress candidate for Wayanad Lok Sabha bypolls, has declared assets worth over Rs 12 crore.

In her nomination paper, Priyanka also declared a total income of over Rs 46.39 lakh in the financial year 2023-2024 which includes rental income and interest from banks and other investments.

Giving details of her assets and liabilities in the affidavit filed along with her nomination papers, Priyanka said she has movable assets of over Rs 4.24 crore that include deposits of varying amounts in three bank accounts, investments in mutual funds, PPF, a Honda CRV car gifted by her husband Robert Vadra, and over 4400 grams (gross) of gold worth Rs 1.15 crore.

Her immovable assets are worth over Rs 7.74 crore, which includes two inherited half shares of agricultural land in Mehrauli area of New Delhi and a half share in a farmhouse building located therein, all of which together are now worth over Rs 2.10 crore.

Besides that, she has a self-acquired residential property in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, which is presently worth over Rs 5.63 crore, according to her affidavit.

In her affidavit, Priyanka has also given details of her husband's movable and immovable assets.

Robert Vadra has movable assets worth over Rs 37.9 crore and immovable assets worth over Rs 27.64 crore, according to the affidavit.

Priyanka, who has a Post Graduate Diploma in Buddhist Studies through distance learning from University of Sunderland, UK and a BA Hons degree in Psychology from Delhi University, has liabilities of Rs 15.75 lakh.

She is also facing Income Tax reassessment proceedings for the assessment year 2012-13, as per which she has to pay over Rs 15 lakh as taxes, her affidavit said.

Additionally, there are two FIRs and a forest department's notice against her, the affidavit stated.

One of the FIRs, registered in 2023 in Madhya Pradesh, is under sections 420 (cheating) and 469 (forgery) of the IPC and is based on a private person's complaint alleging that she posted some misleading tweets, the affidavit said.

The other FIR, registered in 2020 in Uttar Pradesh, is under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC for her alleged protest against the Hathras incident of 2020.

Both Rahul and Priyanka were booked for alleged violation of prohibitory orders issued under CrPC section 144 and violation of the orders related to the Epidemic Diseases Act, imposed in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, for walking towards Hathras to meet a Dalit rape victim's family.