Priyanka Gandhi Vadra To Contest Wayanad Seat, Backed By Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra received enthusiastic support from party MP Shashi Tharoor following the announcement that she will contest the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, vacated by her brother Rahul Gandhi.

Tharoor took to social media platform X, stating, "No more doubt, no more questions, here comes Priyanka."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, 52, is set to make her electoral debut from Wayanad, a seat her brother held for two consecutive terms. She had been considered for other constituencies such as Amethi, Rae Bareli, and Varanasi.

Her entry into electoral politics has long been anticipated, with previous speculations about her challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi or succeeding Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli. However, the Congress party has chosen to field her from Wayanad, a Congress stronghold since its establishment in 2008.

"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 Gandhi Vadra stated after her candidature was announced.

Priyanka is married to businessman Robert Vadra, who had shown interest in contesting from Amethi in the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. After her candidacy for Wayanad was confirmed, 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 would mark the first time all three members of the Gandhi family—Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra—would be serving concurrently in Parliament.