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Key Points

Navya Haridas, who challenged Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad, has been named Kerala BJP Mahila Morcha chief. The software engineer-turned-politician previously won local body elections twice in Kozhikode. Her 12% vote share against Priyanka boosted her BJP standing. The move comes as BJP aims to expand in Kerala's upcoming local polls.

Key Points: Navya Haridas Named Kerala BJP Mahila Morcha Chief After Priyanka Gandhi Contest

  • Navya Haridas quit software job to join BJP in 2015
  • Won Kozhikode local polls twice before Assembly loss
  • Gained prominence contesting Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad bypoll
  • Appointment aligns with Amit Shah's Kerala local body election push
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Navya Haridas who contested against Priyanka Gandhi appointed Kerala BJP Mahila Morcha chief

Former Priyanka Gandhi rival Navya Haridas appointed Kerala BJP Mahila Morcha president, signaling BJP's push for youth leadership in local polls.

"Her stock rose when she contested against Priyanka, managing 12% votes despite defeat – Article Source"

Thiruvananthapuram, July 23

Navya Haridas, who contested as the BJP candidate against AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi at the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election in November last year, was appointed as the new president of the Kerala unit of the Mahila Morcha, the women’s wing of the BJP, on Wednesday.

36-year-old Haridas, a software engineer by profession, quit her plush job and joined the BJP.

She contested the local body elections in 2015 to the Kozhikode Corporation from the Karaparambu division and won.

In 2020, she retained her seat from the same division.

In the 2021 Assembly polls, she unsuccessfully contested the Kozhikode South Assembly constituency and managed to get only 20.84 per cent votes.

However, her stock rose when she contested against Priyanka, and at the end, even though she lost by a mile, she managed to get 12 per cent of the votes.

Incidentally, in the 2024 general elections, when Rahul Gandhi retained his Wayanad seat, it was the then State BJP president K. Surendran who contested as the BJP candidate and managed to get 13 per cent votes.

So when Haridas contested against Priyanka, she managed to come very close to what Surendran managed to get.

Being an effective two-term local body member, this new elevation is seen as a gift for her hard work.

Incidentally, this new appointment comes at a time when the state BJP unit led by former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had recently appointed a new state committee, which includes a mix of youth and experience.

During his most recent visit, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked the state unit to target the local body elections to be held in December and asked the party leadership to ensure that they win two Corporations and 10 municipalities and also increase the BJP vote share to 25 per cent, up from the 16 to 17 per cent they have now.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Interesting appointment! But BJP needs to do more than just token representation. Getting 12% votes against Priyanka Gandhi isn't exactly a great achievement. Party should focus on real grassroots work in Kerala.
R
Rohit P
As a Malayali, I'm curious to see how BJP will perform in local body elections. Navya's experience in corporation elections might help, but Kerala politics is different ball game altogether!
S
Sarah B
The fact that she quit a high-paying IT job for public service deserves respect. Whether BJP or not, we need more educated women in politics across all parties.
V
Vikram M
BJP's Kerala strategy seems clear - field candidates against Gandhi family to gain visibility. But will this help them beyond few percentage points? Need proper local leaders with mass connect.
K
Kavya N
As a woman from Kerala, I welcome this appointment. Hope Navya focuses on real women's issues in the state - safety, employment and healthcare. Not just party politics! 👍

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