Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge announced on Monday that Rahul Gandhi, who recently won seats in both Wayanad, Kerala, and Raebareli, UP, in the Lok Sabha elections, will step down from his Wayanad seat. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi will be the party's candidate in the ensuing bypoll for that seat.
This decision, made after discussions among the Gandhi family and senior Congress leaders, was met with enthusiasm by Congress members and allies in Kerala.
Kharge stated, "We all in the Congress have decided that Rahul Gandhi will remain the MP from Raebareli. He had also fought from Wayanad, whose people are very supportive. Thus we have decided that Priyanka Gandhi will fight the polls from Wayanad."
Rahul Gandhi expressed his deep connection to both constituencies. "an emotional relationship with Raebareli and the people of Wayanad."
"In the last five years, the people of Wayanad stood with me and gave me energy to fight in a very difficult time. I will stand by the commitments that we've made. We will deliver on those commitments," he said.
"I'm confident that Priyanka is going to win the elections and will be a very good representative for the people of Wayanad. My doors are always open for the people of Wayanad for the rest of my life & I love every single person in Wayanad," he added.
Priyanka Gandhi voiced her enthusiasm about the decision. "I'm very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. I won't let the people of Wayanad feel Rahul ji's absence. I will try my best to be a good representative," she said. She also mentioned her strong bond with Raebareli, emphasizing that she and Rahul will be present in both constituencies.
"Me and Rahul will be present both in Raebareli and Wayanad," she added.
V.D. Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, predicted a significant victory for Priyanka Gandhi. "Rahul and the Congress hold Wayanad dear and they have decided to send Priyanka. We welcome Priyanka to Wayanad... She will win with the biggest ever margin," he wrote on Facebook.
Rahul Gandhi had retained Wayanad with around 3.64 lakh votes, a reduction from the 4.37 lakh votes in 2019. It was widely anticipated within Wayanad and among Congress leaders that Rahul would vacate Wayanad to focus on revitalizing the party in Uttar Pradesh, paving the way for Priyanka Gandhi.
The speculation was fueled by Sonia Gandhi’s speech during the Raebareli campaign, where she introduced Rahul as her successor. Wayanad, created in 2009 from parts of Kannur, Kozhikode, and Malappuram constituencies, has been a stronghold for Congress, with the Gandhi family holding a special place for its voters.
Had Priyanka Gandhi not taken over, opposition parties like CPI-M and BJP could have criticized Congress for neglecting the seat. Priyanka's previous campaign visits to Wayanad in 2019 and 2024 had already drawn large crowds.
Commenting on Rahul Gandhi's dilemma about choosing between Raebareli and Wayanad, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal stated there was no drama in the decision. "We had informed that the Congress will take the appropriate decision at the appropriate time. Allow us the prerogative to decide when we should decide. We had time till tomorrow and we have decided today," he said.
Senior Indian Union Muslim League legislator P.K. Kunhalikutty, whose party is a significant member of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, supported the decision. "We and our supreme leader Thangal had said that we want Priyanka to contest. The best decision has come and we all are happy," he said.
IUML supremo Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal also supported the decision, stating that Priyanka's presence in Parliament would benefit the INDIA bloc in countering PM Narendra Modi.
"The INDIA bloc will be the biggest beneficiary as we need Priyanka also along with Rahul to take on (PM Narendra) Modi inside the Parliament. We are extremely delighted by the decision to have Priyanka. You just wait and see the margin by which she is going to win," he said. he remarked.
Meanwhile, top CPI leader Annie Raja, who contested against Rahul Gandhi, reiterated her stance that anyone contesting from two constituencies should choose which one to vacate. "I stand by what I said," noted Annie Raja, adding that her party would field a candidate against Priyanka Gandhi.
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