6 days Ago By TOI News Desk
Robert Vadra celebrates his wife and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's win NEW DELHI: Businessman and husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra , Robert Vadra hinted at the possibility of entering politics saying he would take the plunge if people believe he can make a difference. His remarks came days after Priyanka’s victory in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypolls. "If people feel that I can make a difference, then I surely will be in Parliament," Vadra said when asked about his potential entry into politics.
Speaking after his wife’s triumph from Wayanad in bypolls, he expressed gratitude to the people of Wayanad for the support. “I always wanted Priyanka to be in Parliament, and today is an auspicious day as it comes just before she takes her oath,” Vadra said. Vadra added, “People were confident that she would win by a good margin.
My heartfelt thanks go to the people of Wayanad for believing in her. My father-in-law, Rajiv Gandhi, would have been proud to witness this moment.” Vadra also highlighted the growing distrust among voters regarding EVMs, citing discrepancies in their functioning as reported by the public.
"When I speak or if I speak, it will be with my experience of the people. When I'm with them, I learn about politics and what their needs are," Vadra said. Referring to specific incidents, Vadra shared an example of an EVM's battery life that raised doubts.
"One EVM’s battery was 99%, and another was 66%. If the machine has been working since morning, it cannot have a battery life of 99%. People feel that such anomalies create doubts about the process," he said.
He noted that despite the alliance's success in Jharkhand, the inconsistent results have led to widespread calls for revisiting traditional ballot papers to restore faith in the voting process. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra clinched a decisive victory in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, defeating CPI's Sathyan Mokeri by a massive margin of over 4.10 lakh votes.
This marks her first electoral win, solidifying Congress's presence in the constituency while raising speculation about her husband Robert Vadra’s political ambitions. According to the Election Commission , Priyanka garnered 6,22,338 votes, surpassing her CPI rival’s 2,22,407 votes by a huge margin. The BJP-led NDA’s Navya Haridas came third with 1,09,939 votes.
Her win, bolstered by the support of ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), has been hailed as a morale booster for the party. Rahul Gandhi vacated the Wayanad seat after winning from Rae Bareilly as well in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He secured 3.
64 lakh votes in the April general election, down from his 2019 margin of 4.31 lakh..
