Politics

Rahul Gandhi in Raebareli, Priyanka in Wayanad: Analyzing Congress’ Strategic Move

One of the most well-thought-out political decisions made by the Congress is having Rahul Gandhi stay in Raebareli’s position while his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, runs from the Keralan seat he is leaving vacant. It is anticipated to give it a strong presence in both the north and the south, laying the foundation for upcoming elections. One of the two Gandhi family strongholds in Uttar Pradesh is Raebareli, which has long been defended by Sonia Gandhi, the mother of Rahul Gandhi. Regaining its other stronghold, Amethi, from the BJP with the help of Gandhi family stalwart KL Sharma, returns to the Congress the solid foundation that once made it the clear choice in Uttar Pradesh.

Early in2027, the state is scheduled for elections, and the Congress is seeking to carve out more ground in the wake of the recently held Lok Sabha poll. The Congress has gained six seats in 2019, up from only one seat in Raebareli. Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, 37, is its state ally in India. In a state considered to be its bastion for ten years, their combined number of forty-three has reduced the BJP to thirty-three. Party insiders suggest that after drawing blood, the plan now is to take the Yogi Adityanath government by surprise in 2027.

However, Mr. Gandhi’s stay in Raebareli has consequences that go beyond Uttar Pradesh. The Congress, which increased its representation in the Lok Sabha from 52 to 99 members in 2019, is attempting to maintain its current growth trajectory, which is nearly unachievable without expanding its influence in the northern Hindi belt.

In contrast to the north, the south has three states under congressional rule already. It is in power in Tamil Nadu alongside MK Stalin’s DMK, having won the previous year’s assembly elections in Telangana and Karnataka. Kerala, which alternated between the Congress and the Left every five years before breaking the pattern in 2021 and electing the Left to a second term, is the next target. Now, the Congress is counting on anti-incumbency sentiment to sway the state in favor of them in 2026.

In light of this, it is anticipated that having a Gandhi family member in Wayanad will be quite advantageous. Although Rahul Gandhi’s victory this year is thought to have given the Congress party new life, the seat has long been a traditional bastion. Notwithstanding a major BJP campaign that allowed them to establish themselves in the state with one seat, the Congress has only lost one of the 20 seats in Kerala, having won 14 of them.

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Senior party leader from the state, KC Venugopal, was spotted with Mr. Kharge today at the press conference when Ms. Gandhi Vadra’s debut was revealed, giving a clear indication of the Kerala Congress’s support for the new contender. Mr. Gandhi stated unequivocally that it is certain that he and his sister will remain in both states. In a message to the Wayanad people, he remarked, “You are going to have two MPs, I will keep visiting.” “Two seats (Wayanand and Raebareli) will have two MPs each,” Ms. Gandhi Vadra reiterated, highlighting her friendship with Raebareli that spanned two decades. She declared, “I won’t let the people of Wayanad feel his (Rahul Gandhi’s) absence” in regards to Wayanand.

“I will work hard, try my best to make everyone happy in Wayanad, be a good representative,” she added.

Source: NDTV