Contesting from two constituencies, Rahul Gandhi has emerged victorious with significant margins, marking his return as an MP from the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI) website. Gandhi, representing both Kerala’s Wayanad and Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli seats, secured resounding wins in both regions.
In Wayanad, Gandhi triumphed over Communist Party of India’s (CPI) Annie Raja by an impressive margin of 3,64,422 votes. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kerala State President K Surendran finished third with 1,41,045 votes. In Rae Bareli, a traditional Congress bastion, Gandhi defeated BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh by a substantial margin of 3,89,341 votes. Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Thakur Prasad Yadav secured a distant third position with just 21,588 votes.
This isn’t the first time Rahul Gandhi contested from two Lok Sabha seats. In 2019, he faced a tough battle in Amethi, ultimately losing to Union Minister and senior BJP leader Smriti Irani, although he secured a resounding victory in Wayanad.
Since 2014, Gandhi has been actively leading his party’s campaign to improve its electoral performance. While the Congress has faced setbacks in recent elections, Gandhi’s dual victories signal a resurgence in the party’s electoral fortunes.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi secured a significant 64.67% vote share from Wayanad, defeating CPI’s candidate PP Suneer. However, he faced defeat in Amethi, a constituency he had represented for three consecutive terms.
In the run-up to the 2024 elections, Rahul Gandhi chose Rae Bareli, a seat held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for 20 straight years. However, Sonia Gandhi opted out of the electoral fray this time and is now a member of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.
In the recent polls, Rae Bareli recorded a voter turnout of 58.12%, while Wayanad saw a turnout of 72.69%. The Lok Sabha polls, conducted in seven phases starting from April 19, have been closely watched as the Bharatiya Janata Party aims for a rare third consecutive term at the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.