Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut from Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency after her brother and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi decided to retain the family bastion of Rae Bareli.
Rahul contested both Raebareli and his previous constituency, Wayanad, in the recently concluded polls and won both. Priyanka will contest the bypoll that will be held in Wayanad to fill the vacant seat, party president Mallikarjun Kharge announced Monday.
For Priyanka, who was appointed Congress general secretary in 2019, the decision to contest from Wayanad signals a more active role she might play as a parliamentarian. Priyanka has not contested elections herself before but has been a formidable campaigner for her brother, mother, and other party members over the years. She said she would try to be a “good representative.”
If Priyanka wins from Wayanad, three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family will be in Parliament – Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha, and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.
Congress, which emerged victorious in 99 Lok Sabha constituencies in the recently concluded polls, put up a far better performance compared to its 2014 and 2019 tally.
(With inputs from agencies)