Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has chosen to retain the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, vacating his position in Wayanad, Kerala. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced that Priyanka Gandhi will make her electoral debut by contesting from the vacated Wayanad seat.
Rahul Gandhi had contested the 2024 elections from both Raebareli and Wayanad. Having to vacate one seat, he opted to keep Raebareli, a long-standing stronghold of the Gandhi family. This decision marks a significant step in reinforcing the party’s influence in Uttar Pradesh, a state crucial for the Congress’s political strategy.
Raebareli, a bastion for the Gandhis, has a storied history with the family. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul’s mother, held the Raebareli seat before moving to the Rajya Sabha. Before her, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and former PM Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul’s grandmother and father respectively, represented Raebareli and Amethi, further cementing the family’s legacy in these constituencies.
Priyanka Gandhi’s candidature from Wayanad signifies her official entry into electoral politics. This Kerala constituency became a safe seat for Rahul Gandhi in 2019 after he lost his long-held seat of Amethi to BJP’s Smriti Irani. Despite the BJP’s extensive outreach in Kerala, it remains a Congress stronghold, making Wayanad a strategic choice for Priyanka’s debut.
The decision to retain Raebareli also reflects the Congress’s efforts to revive its presence in Uttar Pradesh. In the recent elections, the Congress won six seats in UP, with ally Samajwadi Party securing 37 out of the state’s 80 seats, indicating a potential resurgence.
As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections approach, these strategic decisions by the Congress are poised to shape the party’s future trajectory and strengthen its position in key regions.
