Priyanka Gandhi will contest Wayanad seat vacated by Rahul Gandhi

• Rahul Gandhi will retain his Raebareli seat
• Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad
• The decision followed a high-level meeting chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will retain his Raebareli seat while his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad, the party announced on Monday. This decision follows a meeting held at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, attended by top party leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries KC Venugopal, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The meeting, chaired by Kharge, started after 5:30 PM and aimed to decide which Lok Sabha seat Rahul Gandhi would retain. Rahul had won from both Wayanad, his seat since 2019, and Raebareli, a constituency with a rich Gandhi family legacy. As per the rules, he had to choose which seat to retain within 14 days of the election results.

Rahul Gandhi expressed his emotional connection with both constituencies, stating, "I have an emotional connection with Wayanad and Raebareli. I was an MP from Wayanad for the last 5 years. I thank the people for their love and support. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from Wayanad, but I will also periodically visit Wayanad. I have an old relationship with Raebareli, I am happy that I will get to represent them again, but it was a tough decision."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, expressing her commitment to Wayanad, said, "I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad and I will not let them feel his (Rahul Gandhi's) absence. I will work hard and I will try my best to make everyone happy and be a good representative. I have a very old relationship with Raebareli and Amethi and it cannot be broken. I will also help my brother in Raebareli. We will both be present in Raebareli and Wayanad."