Congress’s decision to field Priyanka Gandhi from Wayanad shows how important this Kerala seat is for the party.
In Short
- Rahul Gandhi to contest from Rae Bareli, Priyanka to contest from Wayanad
- Priyanka expected to win in Congress bastion Wayanad
- This move shows that Congress considers Kerala integral to its strategy in the south
The question of ‘will she or won’t she’ has finally been answered, as the Congress has announced that Priyanka Gandhi is all set to make her electoral debut from Wayanad in Kerala.
Rahul Gandhi, who had won both Wayanad and Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha elections, has decided to retain the Uttar Pradesh constituency – a Gandhi family stronghold and represented by Sonia Gandhi for four terms.
While speculation about Priyanka Gandhi’s electoral debut has been rife since the 2019 elections, the Congress general secretary had earlier objected to the three Gandhis being in Parliament.
Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into the electoral fray shows how important Wayanad is for the Congress. This became clear when Rahul Gandhi addressed the media on Monday.
Recalling the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi said, “The people of Wayanad gave me support and energy to fight in very difficult times. I will never forget this.”
In 2019, Rahul Gandhi won the Wayanad seat, while he lost his family bastion Amethi to BJP’s Smriti Irani. The former Congress chief will retain the Wayanad seat in 2024, defeating CPI-M candidate Annie Raja by 3,64,422 votes.
Wayanad is a Congress stronghold, so Priyanka Gandhi is expected to win.
Political analysts say the move will ensure the presence of Gandhi family representatives in both the north and south.
Political analyst Manisha Priyam told India Today that the move shows that the Congress leadership considers Kerala an integral part of its strategy in the south.
“I don’t think this is abandoning Wayanad, but rather embracing Wayanad,” she said.
Priyam further said, “Wayanad is very important for the Gandhi family. They do not have direct representation in Tamil Nadu. Karnataka has DK Shivakumar (Deputy Chief Minister). Priyanka’s direct entry would mean that the leadership is trying to say that the Congress is directly entering the electoral fray in Kerala, at a time when the BJP’s vote percentage is also increasing.”
The move also saves the Congress from the criticism that the Gandhi family ignored the South even as the party made good gains in the elections.
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