Following the Congress party's announcement of Priyanka Gandhi's candidacy for the Lok Sabha by-election in Wayanad, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja, who had previously contested against Rahul Gandhi for the seat, stated that the decision regarding her candidacy would rest with the party.
"Rahul Gandhi and Congress have decided and announced that they will retain Raebareli and leave Wayanad. Whether I will contest or not from Wayanad again will be the decision of my party. Elections have not been announced so far, so we have plenty of time to discuss the candidate in the party and among the LDF," Annie Raja told ANI.
"We need more and more women in Parliament. I am happy that the UDF has announced a female candidate for the constituency," she added. She also advocated for increased women representation in Parliament and expressed satisfaction that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has nominated a female candidate for the seat.
The by-election in this constituency was triggered by Rahul Gandhi's decision to retain Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli seat, which he secured along with Wayanad in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge officially declared Priyanka Gandhi's candidacy from Wayanad during a special press conference held on Monday. If Priyanka Gandhi succeeds in winning from Wayanad, three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family will hold seats in Parliament: Sonia Gandhi in the Rajya Sabha, and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.