Rahul Gandhi will relinquish the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, which he won by a margin of over three lakh votes earlier this month, the Congress announced on Monday. The party added that he will retain the Rae Bareli constituency, his family's stronghold in Uttar Pradesh. His move will pave the way for his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's foray into electoral politics as she will contest the bypolls from the Kerala constituency. In his first reaction to the development, Gandhi said leaving Wayanad was a tough decision.
Rahul Gandhi said he will frequently visit his former Lok Sabha constituency. He further said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will win the bypolls, and the people of Wayanad can think they have 2 MPs.
"I have an emotional connection with Waynand and Rae Bareli. 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 in the 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," he said, reported ANI.
"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.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who entered active politics ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, vowed she will not let Wayanad feel Rahul Gandhi's absence.
{{/usCountry}}Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who entered active politics ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, vowed she will not let Wayanad feel Rahul Gandhi's absence.
{{/usCountry}}"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," she added.
The brother-sister duo warmly embraced each other after the press conference.
Rahul Gandhi lost the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi in 2019. He, however, won Kerala's Wayanad seat.
In 2024 general elections, Gandhi contested the polls from Wayanad and his mother Sonia Gandhi's former constituency, Rae Bareli. He won both the seats with margins of over three lakh votes.
Kishori Lal Sharma, a Gandhi family loyalist, defeated BJP's Smriti Irani in Amethi.