(Image source from: Twitter.com/INCIndia)
The Gandhis have made a significant political decision, as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be making her electoral debut from Wayanad, a seat her brother Rahul Gandhi has chosen to vacate. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that Rahul Gandhi will retain his Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh, allowing Priyanka to contest the Wayanad seat. Rahul Gandhi acknowledged that this was a tough choice, but he believes it's a win-win situation for the people of Wayanad, who will now have two representatives – himself and Priyanka. With their mother, Sonia Gandhi, being a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan, and Rahul Gandhi a Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli, this would mark the first time that three members of the Gandhi family will simultaneously hold parliamentary seats if Priyanka Gandhi wins the Wayanad by-election. Rahul Gandhi expressed his deep emotional connection with the people of both Wayanad and Rae Bareli, stating that the last five years with the people of Wayanad have been fantastic, and they have shown him immense love regardless of their political affiliations. He is grateful for the support they have provided him during challenging times.
आज कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री @kharge से उनके निवास पर CPP चेयरपर्सन श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी जी, श्री @RahulGandhi, संगठन महासचिव श्री @kcvenugopalmp और महासचिव श्रीमती @priyankagandhi जी ने मुलाकात की। pic.twitter.com/DQOXvhiYXJ
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 17, 2024
"We will work together to fulfill all the promises we have made to the people," Rahul Gandhi assured. Priyanka Gandhi, who has traditionally played a behind-the-scenes role in the Congress party, has taken on a more prominent position in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She has been heavily involved in strategizing campaign plans, selecting candidates, and actively campaigning across the country. While she has managed her brother Rahul's Amethi constituency and her mother's Rae Bareli constituency in the past, her involvement has significantly increased since 2019 when she was expected to contest from Uttar Pradesh. This year, she was also rumored to be a candidate from Amethi, but instead supported the family's long-standing loyalist, K.L. Sharma. Wayanad is considered a safe seat for Rahul Gandhi, as he won there by a large margin in both 2019 and 2024. Rahul shifted to Wayanad after facing a challenge from Bharatiya Janata Party leader Smriti Irani in his family's stronghold of Amethi, where she emerged victorious. Priyanka is married to businessman Robert Vadra.
In the serene landscapes of Wayanad, Kerala, a bastion that has consistently favored the Congress party in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Priyanka embarks on a new political journey. Unfazed by the challenge, she confidently embraces this opportunity, ready to leave her mark on the political landscape. “I am happy to represent Wayanad. I won't let them feel his absence. I will try my best to represent Wayanad. I have a very old relationship with Rae Barley and have acted in Amethi and Rae Barley. I have worked with him." For 20 years, I will continue to support Rahul in Rae Bareli." During the 2024 elections, Priyanka Gandhi campaigned in 16 states and Union Territories and attended 108 public meetings and roadshows. His speech attracted a lot of attention, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mangalsutra' speech in which he said that his mother Sonia Gandhi sacrificed her 'Mangalsutra' for the country.
(Video Source: Indian National Congress)
