Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has decided to retain his Raebareli Lok Sabha seat, while his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday. "Rahul Gandhi won from 2 Lok Sabha seats but as per the law, he has to vacate one seat. Rahul Gandhi will keep the Raebareli seat and vacate the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. We have decided that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will fight elections from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat," Kharge said.
This decision comes after a meeting of top party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and general secretaries KC Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi, held at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
"I have an emotional connection with Waynand and Raebareli. I was an MP from Wayanad for the last 5 years. I thank the people for their love and support. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will fight from elections from Wayanad but I will also periodically visit Wayanad. I have an old relationship with Raebareli, I am happy that I will get to represent them again but it was a tough decision," Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said after deciding to vacate the Wayanad seat.
"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 2 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.
After Rahul vacated Wayanad, the next MP will be elected through a by-election.
Gandhi, who secured a second consecutive win in Wayanad, had contested from both Wayanad and Rae Bareli in this year's polls. Rae Bareli's seat became vacant after Sonia Gandhi moved to the Rajya Sabha citing health reasons, following which Rahul Gandhi contested and won the seat.
In the latest elections, Gandhi won the Wayanad seat by a significant margin of 3,64,422 votes and Rae Bareli by 3,90,030 votes. The decision to retain Rae Bareli comes as the Congress, which had secured only one seat in Uttar Pradesh in 2019, won six seats this year out of the 17 it contested.
The move signals the Congress party's intent to focus on Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in terms of Lok Sabha seats. The decision to field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Wayanad is seen as a move to appease voters and maintain the party's stronghold in the region.
Brother-sister duo Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra share a hug after the announcement of Priyanka's candidature from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.
"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 Raebareli. We will both be present in Raebareli and Wayanad," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.