The Tribune Analysis: Will Priyanka Gandhi’s poll debut from Wayanad prove to be a 'bright spot' in Congress' revival?

Vibha Sharma
Chandigarh, June 18
A day after BJP continued to target the Congress over its decision to field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Wayanad — a seat vacated by brother Rahul Gandhi — by referring to it as an example of ‘parivarvad’ and accusing Priyanka Gandhi of being a “proxy candidate of Indian Union Muslim League.”

BJP Kerala chief K Surendran, who contested against Rahul from Wayanad in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, said Rahul claimed that Wayanad was his family, and has now decided upon the candidature of his own sister Priyanka Gandhi. “Hope he will field brother-in-law Robert Vadra in the Palakkad by-election,” he added.

Given that Wayanad is seen as the Congress stronghold, political analysts expect Priyanka to “have an easy run there”. And while BJP has been lashing out at the Congress leadership over the decision, many political analysts called it a “smart move” that may “hold the party good stead by ensuring presence of the Gandhi family in both North India as well as South India”.

The electoral debut of Priyanka may just be the “bright spot” the grand old party had been searching for all this while, they added. The Congress is now sensing a revival in political space after hitting the rock bottom in the past 10 years.

Party sources also agreed that earlier there were “some reservations” about having all the three members of the family — Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — in Parliament and providing “some more ammo to BJP” but “there was no other way to show the people of Wayanad that they matter to Rahul Gandhi and the party”.

“The entry of Rahul’s sister in the electoral fray from Wayanad underlines its importance for him as well as the Congress.

“Kerala is important to Congress’ strategy in the South and any other candidate would not have been able to deliver this message as well as Priyanka,” experts added.

Rahul too acknowledged how difficult it was to decide between Rae Bareli and Wayanad — the two seats he won in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “Choosing between Rae Bareli and Wayanad was not an easy decision. People of Wayanad gave me energy to fight during a very difficult time. I will never forget that. Instead of one, people of Wayanad will now have two representatives in the Lok Sabha,” he said.

Rahul indeed had a difficult choice to make as Wayanad sent him to the Lok Sabha with a huge margin in 2019, at a time when Amethi voters preferred BJP’s Smriti Irani over him.  In 2024 as well, the Kerala constituency returned him to the Lok Sabha with a huge margin but so did Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh — the state that may be pivotal to the political revival of the Congress.

The Representation of the People Act allows a person to contest an election from two constituencies but the candidate must resign from one of the seats within 14 days of the results.