NewDelhi: The Congress Party has officially announced Priyanka Gandhi as its candidate for the upcoming Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election in Kerala. Alongside this, the party has revealed its candidates for two other important seats in the state: Ramya Haridas will contest the Chelakkara Assembly seat, and Rahul Mamakutty will stand for the Palakkad constituency. Voting for the Wayanad by-election is scheduled for 13 November, with the results expected on 23 November.
The by-election in Wayanad was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi resigned from the seat. At the time of his resignation, the Congress Party made it clear that Priyanka Gandhi would be their candidate for the by-election. This marks Priyanka’s first foray into electoral politics, as she has previously focused on party responsibilities without contesting elections directly. Her decision to step into the political arena has generated considerable interest, as she prepares to carry forward the family’s political legacy.
Earlier this year, in the general election held in June, Rahul Gandhi contested from two seats: Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. Despite winning both seats by a significant margin, Rahul opted to retain the Rae Bareli seat, vacating Wayanad, as promised. He had pledged that a family member would run in his place, and the announcement of Priyanka as the candidate fulfils that promise.
In the 2024 general election, Rahul Gandhi once again contested from two seats. This time, he chose Rae Bareli over Amethi, as the Rae Bareli seat became vacant following Sonia Gandhi’s election to the Rajya Sabha. Sonia had previously represented the constituency multiple times, and it is widely considered a stronghold of the Gandhi family. With Rae Bareli now in Rahul Gandhi’s hands, he chose to relinquish the Wayanad seat, paving the way for Priyanka’s candidacy.
The Wayanad seat holds particular significance for the Congress. In 2019, Rahul Gandhi also contested from both Amethi and Wayanad. While he faced a surprising defeat in Amethi at the hands of BJP leader Smriti Irani, he was victorious in Wayanad, where voters placed their trust in him with a decisive win.
Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into the political fray is expected to galvanise Congress supporters and draw considerable attention to the Wayanad by-election. With the Gandhi family playing such a central role in the Congress party’s identity, the upcoming election promises to be a closely watched contest, not just for Wayanad but for the party’s future prospects in Kerala and beyond.