Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress and daughter of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, will contest her first parliamentary election from the Wayanad constituency in Kerala. This announcement was made by Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday.
Ms. Gandhi Vadra, 52, has been an influential figure within the Congress party for over two decades. She steps into the election race following her brother, Rahul Gandhi, who vacated the Wayanad seat after deciding to represent Rae Bareilly in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament.
“I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I’ll say is that I won’t let them feel his [Mr. Gandhi’s] absence. I will work hard and try my best to make everybody happy and be a good representative,” Ms. Gandhi Vadra stated.
Rahul Gandhi recently contested and won parliamentary seats in both Wayanad and Rae Bareilly. His decision to represent Rae Bareilly necessitates a by-election in Wayanad. Rae Bareilly, a stronghold for the Gandhi family, has been represented by Sonia Gandhi since 2004 until she vacated the seat in February and moved to the upper house of Parliament.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been a vigorous campaigner for her family and other Congress leaders. She formally entered politics in 2019, taking on the role of general secretary for Uttar Pradesh in the Congress’s central decision-making assembly.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized Congress for nominating Ms. Gandhi Vadra, accusing the party of perpetuating dynastic politics. BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar used social media platform X to accuse the Gandhi family of “shamelessly hiding the fact that Rahul was contesting from another constituency.”
Despite the BJP’s accusations, the Congress party remains a formidable force. In the recent parliamentary elections, the Congress-led INDIA alliance secured 234 seats, while the Congress alone won 99 seats. The BJP, with 240 seats, fell short of the 272 needed for a majority, but the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 293 seats, ensuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third consecutive term in office.