Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's candidacy for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala has received robust support from Congress leaders, including Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor. Tharoor expressed his enthusiasm on social media platform X, stating, "No more doubt, no more questions, here comes Priyanka," following the announcement that she will run for the seat vacated by her brother, Rahul Gandhi.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, 52, will make her electoral debut from Wayanad, a constituency her brother has won in the last two terms. Before this, she was considered as a potential candidate for several high-profile seats including Amethi, Rae Bareli, and Varanasi. Her entry into electoral politics has been long anticipated, with speculation about her running against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi or succeeding Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli. However, the Congress party has decided to field her from Wayanad, a stronghold for the party since its creation in 2008.
In response to her candidacy, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed her commitment to representing Wayanad effectively, saying, "I'm not nervous at all... I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I'll say is that I won't let them feel his (Rahul's) absence. I will work hard and try my best to make everybody happy and be a good representative."
Priyanka is married to businessman Robert Vadra, who had shown interest in contesting from Amethi ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Following the announcement of her candidacy, Robert Vadra shared a photo of Priyanka with folded hands and a heart emoji on social media.
If Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wins the by-election, it will be a historic moment as it would mark the first time that all three members of the Gandhi family—Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra—are serving concurrently in Parliament.
