Priyanka to contest from Wayanad and Rahul Gandhi keeps Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat

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NEW DELHI, 18 JUNE.  Newly-elected MP Rahul Gandhi has decided to retain the Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh. He contested Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from two constituencies —  Wayanad and Rae Bareli. He had won both seats and he had to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, which came out on June 4. His sister and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will now contest from Wayanad.

The decision came after Congress’ top leadership held discussions at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi.

Priyanka Gandhi’s first reaction — “I will not let the people of Wayanad feel my brother’s absence” — clearly indicated the family’s importance to the constituency. After Rae Bareli and Amethi, Wayanad has become the third constituency attached to the Gandhi family.

Rahul Gandhi has a special relationship with the people of Wayanad. He has often stated that his disqualification from Lok Sabha had deepened the relationship with the people of Wayanad which elected him with a record margin of over four lakh votes in 2019 and by over 3.6 lakh in the last elections. “I am saying my relationship with you is not going to change for the entire lifetime,” he said at the Thanksgiving meeting held last week.

Priyanka Gandhi is not new to Wayanad. She was one of the main star campaigners for Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and accompanied her brother to Wayanad several times. During Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Wayanad after his disqualification, Priyanka Gandhi joined him and participated in a massive “Satyamev Jayate” road show. She campaigned extensively for Rahul Gandhi and other candidates of the UDF in Kerala in the recent Lok Sabha polls.