Rahul to retain Rae Bareli seat, Priyanka to contest from Wayanad

Putting an end to the suspense, the Congress on Monday (June 17) announced that party leader Rahul Gandhi will retain Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and vacate Wayanad constituency in Kerala from where Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will contest the bypolls.

The decision was announced by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge after a meeting of the party’s top leadership at his residence in New Delhi.

The meeting also discussed whether Rahul Gandhi would take up the post of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

Deadline today

The deadline for informing the Lok Sabha secretariat which of the two seats Rahul will vacate expires today.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former party president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretaries KC Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were present during the discussions.

Rahul strikes emotional chord

Following the announcement, Rahul said he shares a strong emotional bond with people of both Rae Bareli and Wayanad. “It was not an easy decision to make,” he said, adding that the people of Wayanad have given him immense love and support during a difficult journey and he would be indebted to them for the rest of his life. “My doors will always be open for the people of Wayanad,” he said.

Rahul assured Wayanad that he would continue to visit the constituency frequently and that he will ensure that the commitments he has made to the voters are fulfilled. He added that he is confident of Priyanka’s triumph and that the people of Wayanad should be glad to have “two MPs – Priyanka and I”.

Reacting to the decision, Priyanka said she is happy to be given a chance to represent Wayanad and will try to be a good representative for the people. She added that she has a 20-year history of working in Rae Bareli and she would continue to help her brother in Rae Bareli in the future too.

Rahul Gandhi had won both from Wayanad and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies and he has to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, which came out on June 4.

No decision on LoP

Rahul quipped that rumours of Kharge threatening to take “disciplinary action” against him if he doesn't heed the CWC resolution asking him to accept the post are true. Kharge said the meeting today was to decide on the Rae Bareli-Wayanad issue and that a decision on the LoP, Lok Sabha, will be taken soon.

The Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, has also urged Rahul to take up the position of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and a resolution to this effect was passed by the CWC in its last meeting held on June 8.

Venugopal had said that the CWC urged Rahul Gandhi to take up the position as "he is the best person" for the post.