Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will likely make her electoral debut in Kerala’s Wayanad constituency on November 13. This is after she was named to contest the seat vacated by her brother, Rahul Gandhi, who retained the family stronghold of Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh.
The decision comes after the Election Commission of India announced the dates for by-elections in two Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies and 48 assembly constituencies, as well as the schedule for assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Congress workers celebrated her nomination by putting up posters in Wayanad, christening her fondly as “Wayanadinte Priyankari” (Beloved of Wayanad).
Her candidature has been expected since the Congress hinted that she would contest from Wayanad after the Lok Sabha election results in June. She has been an active politician since 1999. Still, she avoided the electoral battle despite expectations that Priyanka would also take a plunge in Uttar Pradesh, just like her family members.
She is known for her problem-solving skills, having dealt with political situations amicably, especially during the 2017 negotiations between her party and the Samajwadi Party. In January 2019, she was appointed as the general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Still, in the organizational reshuffle carried out by the party in December 2023, she lost the Uttar Pradesh responsibilities while continuing with her designation.
Her candidature from Wayanad is part of Congress’ efforts to solidify its base in the south, given that the party is already running Karnataka and Telangana and has an alliance with the DMK in Tamil Nadu. If she wins Wayanad, it would also be the first instance of three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family running together inside Parliament.
The constituency covers three districts: Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Malappuram, and several key assembly segments are under them.
