Is Wayanad heading for Lok Sabha bypoll?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Mock polling was held at Kozhikode district collectorate building for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency by the Election Commission on Wednesday, raising speculation on the possibilty of a bypoll.

The polling comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi whose election is sub-judice, has been disqualified by the Lok Sabha secretariat in the wake of a court directive from Gujarat.

A senior Congress leader from Wayanad told the media that "everything appears to be shrouded in mystery of this mock polling".

"We got a letter from the Kozhikode district authorities stating that a mock poll will be held on Wednesday and they have to nominate a party leader for it. When I reached there, there was another party leader from the IUML.

"The mock poll meeting was inaugurated by the district collector, who also cast the vote. We were told that it was to check all the EVM and VVPAT machines. My impression is that there was something amiss, as the election case of Gandhi is still pending before the court," said the top district level Congress leader who took part in it.

Gandhi had won the Wayanad seat with a staggering margin of over four lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha general elections.