Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Rahul Gandhi, Kunhalikutty hold record for wins by biggest margin in Kerala
With a high polling percentage of 80.37%, Rahul Gandhi secured a historic victory, winning by a majority of 4,31,770 votes, marking the highest-ever majority in Kerala's electoral history. Additionally, PK Kunhalikutty, another prominent leader, previously held the record for the second-highest majority in Kerala until 2019, which was also surpassed in the same election.
FollowCongress leader Rahul Gandhi is contesting a seat in Kerala's Wayanad constituency for the second time in a row in the Lok Sabha elections. In the last general election of 2019, Rahul Gandhi won in Wayanad with a majority of more than 400,000 votes. This is the record for the largest-ever majority in the state. Muslim League's PK Kunhalikutty who contested from Malappuram also set a record.
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Wayanad Lok Sabha seat is a stronghold for the Congress party in Kerala. M.I. Shanavas secured victory in 2009 with a substantial majority of 1,53,439 votes. However, in 2014, Shanavas's majority narrowed to 20,870 votes. In 2019, the constituency gained national attention as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi contested from Wayanad as a UDF candidate.
PP Suneer of CPI represented the Left Front, while Tushar Vellapally of BDJS contested for the NDA in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. With an impressive polling percentage of 80.37%, Rahul Gandhi secured victory with a record-breaking majority of 4,31,770 votes, surpassing all previous records in Kerala's electoral history. A total of 10,87,783 voters exercised their right to vote in the constituency.
Rahul Gandhi's landslide victory in Wayanad in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections shattered the previous record for the highest majority in Kerala, which Muslim League leader E Ahmed held. In 2014, E Ahmed won in Malappuram with a majority of 1,94,739 votes, setting the previous record. However, Rahul Gandhi's historic win in Wayanad marked the birth of a new record in Kerala's electoral history.
PK Kunhalikutty, a leader of the League, held the record for the second-highest majority in Kerala until 2019. He contested in the Malappuram by-elections in 2017 following the death of E Ahmed. Kunhalikutty won the 2017 Malappuram by-election with a majority of 1,71,023 votes. However, in the 2019 general elections, Kunhalikutty broke his own record, finishing second with a majority of 2,60,153 votes.
Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency consists of Mananthavadi, Sultan Bathery and Kalpatta in Wayanad district, Thiruvambadi in Calicut and Eranad, Nilambur and Vandoor assembly constituencies in Malappuram. UDF MLAs have won four of the seven assembly constituencies in the 2021 assembly elections. Minority votes in favor of Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections led to a huge increase in the majority.
