NEW DELHI: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, a decision that marks a significant stride for the leader who was appointed Congress general secretary in 2019. Priyanka Gandhi will make her debut in a Lok Sabha bypoll with her brother Rahul Gandhi deciding to retain the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh of the two he contested and won. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that Priyanka Gandhi will contest from Wayanad at a special press conference on Monday. Rahul Gandhi, who contested from two seats Rae Bareli and Wayanad, won from both the constituencies. For long years, Priyanka had preferred to stay away from the limelight while taking care of the family strongholds of Amethi and Raebareli, represented by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi respectively. Since entering active politics, Priyanka Gandhi has canvassed for the party in different parts of the country. There had been speculation from time to time that the party may send Priyanka Gandhi to Rajya Sabha but she has decided to contest a Lok Sabha bypoll for her Parliament debut. If Priyanka Gandhi wins from Wayanad, three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family will be in Parliament Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the Lok Sabha. Though Priyanka Gandhi’s efforts in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in 2022 did not yield the party desired results, she has been a popular campaigner for the party. Priyanka Gandhi campaigned extensively in this year’s Lok Sabha polls. Congress put up a far better performance compared to its 2014 and 2019 tally and won 99 Lok Sabha seats. In her election speeches, Priyanka Gandhi has sought to raise the issues concerning common man, specially those pertaining to women. Priyanka Gandhi said on Monday that he will contest bypoll from Wayanad but her decades-old association with Amethi and Raebareli will continue. “I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad and I will not let them feel his (Rahul Gandhi’s) absence. I will work hard and I will try my best to make everyone happy and be a good representative. I have a very old relationship with Raebareli and Amethi and it cannot be broken. I will also help my brother in Rae Bareli. We will both be present in Rae Bareli and Wayanad,” Priyanka Gandhi said at the special press conference in the presence of Kharge and her brother Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi said both Raebareli and Wayanad will get two MPs. “I have an emotional connection with both Wayanad and Rae Bareli. And for the last five years, being an MP from Wayanad has been a fantastic experience and enjoyable experience. I thanks people who stood with me, I thank the people of Wayanad who gave me love and affection. They gave me the energy to fight in a very difficult time. So I will never forget that. I want everyone in Wayanad to know that Priyanka is going to fight elections in Wayanad but I will be a frequent visitor to Wayanad and I will be available to the people of Wayanad and the commitments we have made will stand up to them and will to deliver all those commitments. I have an old relationship with Rae Bareli, I am happy that I will get to represent them again but it was a tough decision,” Rahul Gandhi said. “Priyanka Gandhi is going to fight the elections and I am confident that she is going to win the elections. The people of Wayanad can think that they have two members of the Parliament, one is my sister and the other is me. My doors are always open for the people of Wayanad, I love every single person in Wayanad,” he added. The decision came after top party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries KC Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi held a meeting at the residence of Congress Kharge. Congress is keen that Rahul Gandhi take the role of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and some discussion is learnt to have taken place in the presence of Kharge. The Congress fought the Lok Sabha polls as part of India bloc and the parties are expected to coordinate their strategy in Parliament.
