Rahul Gandhi retains Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat, Priyanka to make electoral debut in Wayanad bypoll
Rahul Gandhi had won from Wayanad and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies and he has to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, which came out on June 4.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday cleared that his is going to retain Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and relinquish his Lok Sabha seat in Wayanad. Meanwhile, his sister Priyanka Gandhi will contest the bypoll in Kerala's Wayanad. Speaking at a press conference, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the decision was taken during a party meeting today (June 17). "Rahul Gandhi won two Lok Saba seats but as per the law, he has to vacate one. Rahul Gandhi will retain Rae Bareli and we have decided that Priyanka ji will fight from Wayanad, he added.
What did Rahul Gandhi say?
Meanwhile, speaking at the press conference, Rahul Gandhi said that both Rae Bareli and Wayanad "will get two MPs". "I was the Wayanad MP for the last five years and the people of Wayanad gave me love, for which I thank them... Priyanka will contest from Wayanad, but I will continue to visit Wayanad and fulfil the promises we made to Wayanad... I have a long relation with Rae Bareli and I am very happy that I will be representing it. This was not an easy decision, because affection is with both Wayanad and Rae Bareli," he added. Priyanka Gandhi is finally making her electoral debut from the Wayanad seat after Rahul Gandhi vacated the seat by keeping the family bastion of the Raebareli seat.
The decision came after top party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries KC Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi held a meeting at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to decide which Lok Sabha seat Rahul Gandhi would retain. Rahul Gandhi, who contested from two seats -- Rae Bareli and Wayanad, won both constituencies by huge margins.
Priyanka Gandhi will win Wayanad: KC Venugopal
Speaking to reporters, Congress leader KC Venugopal said that the people of Kerala like Priyanka Gandhi and she will win with a big margin. "Everybody is happy with the decision. Rahul Gandhi will keep Raebareli and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad," he added.
Rahul Gandhi won Rae Bareli and Wayanad seats
Rahul Gandhi, who contested from two seats -- Rae Bareli and Wayanad, won both constituencies by huge margins. He won the seat of Rae Bareli by defeating BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh by a margin of 3,90,030 votes. Gandhi had contested this seat aiming to save the lone bastion of the party in the state after he lost Amethi in 2019. The Congress leader also won the seat of Wayanad, which paved his entry to the Lok Sabha in 2019. He defeated Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate Annie Raja by 3,64,422 votes.